Cullen Rescue Ranch
by mustlovertp
Summary: What do you do when the Mob is after you? Run.    After accidentally witnessing a New York Mob hit, Bella and Emmett Swan are on the run. Due to a lucky pull from a bucket, they land in Montana at the Cullens'animal rescue facility. Rated M for Lang & lem
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is the first story that I wrote-I hadn't planned on publishing it, but my friend (xXkiwicullenXx) convinced me to. The chapters are short, it's a bit rough around the edges and I have been told that I have a problem with my tenses. I really don't care. LOL It's a fun read and I hope you enjoy it. If you don't? Well thanks for taking the time to look at it. If you DO...leave me some love and let me know!**

**xXkiwicullenXx , my life would be utterly boring without you...Thanks for everything! **

**This story is rated M for language and lemons-enjoy!**

**Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight-but you should all know that by now.**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Prologue-New York City

BPOV

"Emmett, come on! I want to get home. I've had a long day." I whined at my brother. We were walking home from dinner when he paused to window shop.

"What's wrong, Bellsy-poo? Hard day hangin' with the kitties and pooches?" teasing just a little.

I am currently working at a local animal shelter here in NYC. I actually hold a degree in English Lit, but have yet to use it in any real capacity. Two years ago, our parents were killed in a car crash after leaving my graduation from NYU. Both Em and I obviously took it very hard. We were close to our parents and now we were all we had left. Because of the life insurance on our parents and the settlement from the trucking company, Em and I had no money problems. It had taken me a while to reconcile myself with spending any of the money. It just felt wrong. My therapist, along with Emmett, helped me realize that our parents would want us to use the money and be happy.

Because of this, Em insisted that we just take it easy for a while. He has been working as a foreman on a construction crew here in the city. My therapist suggested that I find something to do helping others. She said it helps people cope with loss. That is how I ended up at the shelter.

"Yeah, this German Shepherd was brought in shortly before I left. He had been left in an empty house with no food or water. He looked awful. I still can't believe that someone could do that to an innocent animal." I sighed.

We were crossing an alley when we heard yelling. Both of us stopped to look.

There were two big guys holding a man up against the building. One of the guys had long dark blond hair held back in a pony tail. He had a pipe in his hand and was hitting the man against the wall with it. The other guy had black hair, also in a pony tail. He had a gun.

The man being beaten was pleading with them not to hurt him. The black haired guy said something like_ 'you should've kept your fucking mouth shut'._ The next thing we heard was a gun shot. I, of course, screamed. Not good. The two goons turned to look our way, then started after us.

"Holy shit, let's get out of here!" Emmet yelled. "Head to Tyler's place!"

"Stop! Come back here," the bad guys yelled.

We ran across the street and down a couple of doors right into Tyler's music store. Thankfully he was just closing. The aluminum window guards were already shut so he just had to lock up.

"Tyler, hit the lights!" Em yelled.

Shortly after, we heard the sound of pounding feet and yelling.

"Where'd they go?" a loud voice bellowed.

"I don't know. Go around the block and I'll check out the other side of the street," said another voice.

We heard them run off as we tried to catch our breath. Tyler just looking at us with questioning eyes. We stayed quiet for about 10 minutes, though it seemed longer.

"What the hell is going on, dude," Tyler asked my calmer looking brother.

Em told him about what we saw. Tyler had surveillance cameras set up in and around his store. He suggested that we look at the camera footage. We watched the cameras for a few minutes to make sure they were gone. Tyler rewound the tape until he saw our images. We stood there watching as the images of the two guys ran past the camera when Tyler uttered an "Oh fuck." Em and I turned to look at him.

"What?" I asked

"Don't you know who that is?" he looked back and forth between us.

"Uh, no. Should we?" asked Emmett.

"Well, those dudes were all over the news a few weeks ago. Ever heard of the Volturi? Tyler asked.

"Oh shit, are you sure. Fuck, fuck-Tyler rewind this. Let me look at them again," Emmett demanded.

Tyler did as asked. Sure enough, now knowing who they were, I did recognize one of them. Emmett did too.

"Did they get a good look at you guys? If they did, you better lay low for a while," Tyler warned. "Do you remember _why_ they were in the news?" he looked between us again. "They were accused of offing some dude who witnessed a woman being assaulted by one of their guys. The person who turned them in, mysteriously disappeared. The Volturi guys walked."

Shit. We were fucked.

Tyler gave us a ride home after we made sure the coast was clear. We only lived a few blocks away from the scene of the crime. As soon as we got home, Emmett instructed me to pack up as much as I could, not knowing if or when we would be returning.

He okayed a couple of quick e-mails to our friends to let them know we were going on a trip. I e-mailed my boss at the shelter, apologizing and quitting saying there was an emergency. I packed up most of my clothes, toiletries and a few pictures. I grabbed my mother's jewelry case and headed to Emmett's room. He was in the closet accessing the safe he had in there, grabbing everything out of it. He was already packed.

We headed out to the elevators to go down to the parking level. On our way down, we ran into the building super.

"You two headed somewhere?" he asked.

"Yep, going on a trip, uh, down south," Em hedged. I just nodded.

"How long ya gonna be gone for?" He was eyeing us suspiciously. Or maybe I was just paranoid.

"Not really sure, just gonna play it by ear," answered Em.

"Well, okay then. Have a good trip," he said, exiting the elevator.

We finally made it down to the parking level. I hit the remote on my key chain and heard my car happily answer. I have a midnight blue 2010 Dodge Charger. It is really the only indulgence I've made with our insurance money. I love my car, even though I don't get much chance to drive it.

We loaded up and got the hell out of there. I let Emmett drive. I was still shook up after watching that guy get killed.

"Em, what are we going to do? Where are we going?" I think I was whining again.

"We are getting the fuck out of here and going somewhere they won't find us," he answered sternly. "Just sit back and relax for a while. I'm going to drive until I get tired and we'll go from there."

"Okay Em, wake me if you want me to drive." I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Em."

"I love you too, Bells"

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**A/N: thanks for reading! Leave me your thoughts...**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks Kari-love you girl! Go read With Or Without You by xXkiwicullenXx. If you're still with me-thanks! **

**M for language and lemons-if you aren't 18-leave.**

**Stephanie Meyers owns everything that is Twilight**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 1-Road Trip

BPOV

We left New York around 10:30 Tuesday night, so when I woke up about 5 hours later, we were in Pennsylvania. I asked Em to stop so I could stretch and use a restroom. He pulled over at the next rest stop we saw.

After using the restroom and splashing some water on my face, I went to find the vending machines. I bought Em and I both a Coke and some snacks.

"Hey, Em, you want me to drive?" I asked.

"Nah, I'll finish. We'll be stopping in an hour or so. I want to put this state between us and those fuckers," he sighed. He opened his Coke and drank half of it before pulling back onto the highway.

Emmett drove for another hour and a half, landing us in Youngstown, Ohio. We found a motel and collapsed. Because I had slept most of the drive, I awoke before Emmett.

I took a quick shower and got ready for the day. I looked at some of the brochures that they leave in motel rooms and found that there was a diner next door. I grabbed my purse and room key, left Em a note and went to get some breakfast. When I returned, I met up with an extremely irate Emmett. He was almost out the door when I was coming in.

"Where in the hell were you?" he yelled

"Christ, Emmett, I just went next door to get breakfast. Calm the fuck down." I sat the bags down on the small table in the room.

"Calm the fuck down? Really, Bella? Do you remember what happened last night?" He sat down putting his head in his hands.

"I left you a note!" I started looking for it and found it lying beneath the table I sat the food on. I snatched it off the floor and handed it to Emmett.

"Bella," he said looking at the note, then up at me. "You can not just take off like that. We don't have any idea how far their reach is. We don't know if they know who we are, or if they're looking for us. Those guys have access to more than just surveillance footage. We have to be careful."

Now I felt like shit. He was right. We really do need to be careful.

"I'm sorry Em. I wasn't thinking. You're right." I just shook my head wondering where my brain was. I mean, of course he was right.

"Aw, Bells, I'm sorry I yelled. I was just worried. I woke up, you weren't here. Just-no going anywhere alone. And remember your phone." He handed it to me. "Come on, let's eat and figure out what we are going to do."

After coffee and food, we both felt a lot better. Em ran down to the car to get the road atlas, while I started packing up the few things lying around the room.

"So, you told the super we were going south. Where?" I asked when he came back.

"I told him that because we are _not_ going south. I figured it would be best to throw some bread crumbs onto a different trail. I think we'll continue west. Anywhere you want to go?"

"I know where I _don't_ want to go. No where hot. It's already summer, I don't want to be completely miserable while we're on the run," I huffed.

My brother started tearing up strips of paper, then writing on each. He folded them up and put them in the room's ice bucket. I just stared at him wondering what the hell he was doing.

"Come here Bells." I walked over to him. "Pick one," he said with his dimply smile.

So I did. I opened it. Hmm "Guess we're going to Montana."

We decided that we would try to get to Illinois before stopping for the night. I gathered up a couple bags while Em got the rest and we headed to the car. We stopped at a gas station near the highway to fill up and get some road snacks.

They sold those Styrofoam coolers, so I filled it with ice, soda and water to stick in the back seat. Em had an armful of junk food. They actually had a bowl with fresh fruit near the checkout, so I picked a few pieces out.

I went for my debit card before Em stopped me. He just shook his head and paid the cashier for our gas and supplies with cash. After we got out the door, Em said "Bella, no plastic on this trip. We don't want to leave any kind of paper trail."

"Oh. Duh, I've seen my fair share of crime dramas, I guess I should have known that, I suppose that means we shouldn't contact anyone either, right?" I asked, taking the keys from Emmett's hand.

"Yeah, sorry. The more discreet we are, the better. Don't speak to anyone about where we're headed, or about anything that happened. I mean, we don't know for sure they are after us, but I am not taking any chances," Em answered.

We decided that we would take turns driving. Emmett was navigating and was busy trying to figure out where in Montana we would go.

"Hey, Bells, you wanna go on a bender?" Em asked with a goofy looking grin on his face.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm driving Emmett."

"He he," he chuckled "There is this little town north of Billings called Bender. I thought it sounded funny, what do you think?" he asked.

"Grab my laptop and see what you can find out about the place. I don't really care where in Montana we end up. Just as long as we're safe."

Emmett got my laptop out of the back seat and proceeded to see what he could pull up on the town of Bender. Apparently, he didn't find much. The town had less than 4,000 residents. They had a couple grocery stores, a library, a pharmacy, schools, police and fire departments. He found a few places to eat and 2 motels. Wow, coming from a city of millions to a place with less than 4,000.

"Well, I guess it is as good a place as any, right? We will probably be better off hiding in a small town. We can always move on if it doesn't work out," I told him.

"Okay then, to Bender it is," Em said cheerfully.

We spent the next couple of days driving across the mid-west. There wasn't a lot to see. Empty spaces and farmland. I think I've seen enough cows to last me a lifetime.

We played name that tune with our I-pods, license plate bingo, twenty questions. It was starting to get old. Staying in crappy motels and eating even crappier food, I was ready to get to Bender. I hope this place isn't as dull as it sounded when Em was describing it.

When we hit Montana, Emmett was driving. We had gotten an early start this Saturday morning, so by the time we hit Bender, it was 11 o'clock. As we drove down the main road through town, I noticed that there were 3 bars. _Huh, I wonder if that is how the town got it's name. Maybe that's all there is to do around here._

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**A/N: thanks for reading! leave a review please..**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Everyone ready to meet Alice? **

**xXkiwicullenXx-We're gonna have to have another Brit Rock session soon. **

**Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight.. but you knew that.**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 2-Settling in

BPOV

Emmett found a diner, The Town Diner. Yes, that was the name of the place.

As we entered the diner, we were greeted by a happy woman named Sue. She had a warm face and sweet smile.

"Hi folks, have a seat anywhere and I'll be right with you." Yep, very happy.

"Where are your restrooms, ma'am?" I asked. She pointed us the way.

We headed back to get cleaned up. When I came out, Emmett had already found a table. Sue was already chatting with him as I sat down.

"What would you like to drink?" Sue asked

"Coke, please," Emmett responded

"I'll have iced tea, please."

"Look over the menu and I'll be back with your drinks in a jiffy."

It didn't take us long to decide. It had been hours since we had eaten, so everything sounded good. Sue came back with our drinks and took our order. As I sat there just looking around sipping my tea, I watched a sprite of a girl come in from the parking lot. She had short dark hair, almost black, but not. She had on bib overall shorts with beat up cowboy boots on.

"Hey Sue, is my order ready?" she hollered to the kitchen.

"Hi Alice, how are you sweetie?" was Sue's reply.

"Oh you know, same old thing. Just picking up Jazzy's usual Saturday order. I had to pick up some things for mom and it didn't take as long as I thought it would. If my order isn't ready, I'll just wait over here." she said pointing to a table near us.

"Hi there. I'm Alice. Alice Cullen. I haven't seen you two around here before. Where ya' from?" she asked.

She must have noticed how I was looking at her. I was shocked by her forwardness.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be nosy, it's just that this is a small town and everybody knows each other. Or at least knows of each other. I'm sorry," she stated again.

"That's okay, my brother and I are traveling across the country and decided to pull in here for a while. You know, just to relax and take in the scenery. I'm Bella Swan and this is my brother Emmett." My brother gave me a stern look. Maybe I shouldn't have given her my real name?

"It is a pleasure to meet you both. So how long are you here for? Where are you staying?" she asked.

"We're not really sure how long we'll be here and we don't know where we'll be staying," I answered honestly. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Sue brought our food out and told Alice it would be about 10 minutes for her order.

"Well, there are motels at either end of town if that is what you're looking for. But, if you are going to be here a while, you might want something more comfortable. I know of a place that rents out these cute little cabins for not much more than the motels charge. Meals are included, too. What do you think?" Alice was practically bouncing in her seat.

Em gave me a look that said 'whatever'. He was too busy eating.

I turned to Alice, "Okay, sounds good, where are these cabins?"

"Actually, they are on my family's ranch." She said this with a gleam in her eyes. "Well, we call it a ranch, but it isn't like a working ranch. We own and run a private animal rescue facility. The Cullen Rescue Ranch," she stated proudly.

"I'll let you two finish up. When you're done, you can follow me home. I'll just call ahead to let mom know we're having guests," she said as she pranced away towards the counter.

Em and I finished up, paid our bill and followed Alice out the door.

"Okay, just follow me. It's only about 10 minutes outside of town."

We hopped in our car and followed Alice. We drove down the main road for a few minutes, then turned onto a dirt road. A few minutes more and we turned again.

"This must be it," said the genius sitting next to me as we passed under a sign reading The Cullen Rescue Ranch.

The driveway was long, flanked on both sides by a lot of trees, almost a forest. When the line of trees broke, I saw two huge barns on the left and a big house on the right. There was a turn off before the house with a sign that simply said 'cabins'. This drive must lead to the cabins. _Now who's the genius?"_

Alice had stopped just after the turn off and leaned out the window.

"You guys are in cabin three, the key is on the kitchen counter. See you later," she yelled.

As we drove back to the cabin, a lovely woman walking towards us waved us down to stop. She had beautiful dark blond hair with bits of red, giving it a caramel looking color.

"Hi, you must be Emmett and Bella, right?" We nodded. "I'm Esme Cullen. You go on back and get settled. We're having dinner around six-so whenever you're ready, feel free to come on up to the house. Cabin three is at the end of the lane. See you later," she said waving as she walked away.

"Wow, the people around here are really nice," Emmett said, almost to himself.

"Yeah, I noticed that, too. Maybe this will turn out to be a great place to lay low for a while," I answered as we pulled up to our cabin.

_They call this a cabin? Wow-I'd call this more like a cottage, even a small house._

As we entered the 'cabin' I was looking into the living room. It had a stone fireplace, a big picture window, a comfy looking sofa and chair. This place was beginning to look like a resort. To the right of the living room was a kitchen. While it was somewhat small, it wanted for nothing. There was a small table with two chairs in the corner. There were full size appliances, even an island with a couple of bar stools. I ventured down the hallway to find my room. We were told that this was a two bedroom cabin. Em already claimed his.

"So Em, how is it?" I asked looking into his room. _Huh, it was big, hope mine is this nice._

"Bells, man, this is awesome! These rooms have their own bathrooms and everything!" We both hated the crappy motels we'd been staying in.

"Okay, I am gonna go get cleaned up and maybe take a nap. When did Mrs. Cullen say dinner was?"

"Uh, she said around six." _Of course my brother would know when-the man likes his food. _

"Em, make sure you wake me up, okay?" I asked.

"Yeah Bells, I won't leave without you. Go relax. I might just take a nap myself. I'll set the alarm on my phone."

"Thanks, I'll see you later then," I said, closing the door behind me.

I walked into my room and opened my suitcase. Grabbing my toiletries bag, I headed for my bathroom. I stopped in the doorway with my mouth hanging open.

It was my dream bathroom. It had a huge claw footed tub with jets and a separate glass enclosed shower. Over the tub there was a big window looking out over a field of wild flowers. There was even a skylight directly above the tub. The floor was tiled in beautiful black and white squares.

While the tub was filling, I undressed and peeked into the shower. It had one of those big shower heads. I think they're called 'rain' shower heads. The shower also had a bench built into it. Before getting into the tub, I took a quick look out the window. It was pretty low on the wall, anyone walking by could see right in. It seemed as if it was secluded so I hopped in the tub.

_"_Oh yeah, this is wonderful", I said to myself.

I took a warm folded washcloth, placed it over my eyes and laid back against the back of the tub. I could hear the birds chirping outside and the wind slightly blowing through the leaves in the trees behind the cabin. I relaxed, feeling the bubbles hit my skin. I could get used to this_._

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**A/N: Even if you just want to say "I liked it" leave a review please. If you hate it-no worries LOL**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ready for Edward? Of course you are-**

**If you haven't read Eventide by QueenofHearts Madwriter-you really should.**

**xXkiwicullenXx has a great one that is almost finished. Go read With Or Without You...you won't regret it.**

**M for language and lemons**

**Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 3-Meeting the family

BPOV

I'm not sure how long I stayed in the tub, but I must have dozed off. The water had cooled considerably. Quickly washing my hair and body, I was just getting out when I heard Emmett yelling that it was five-thirty.

"Okay, Em!" I yelled back. "I'll be ready by six."

I wrapped my hair in one of the fluffy towels that were provided and dried myself off with another. I went into the bedroom to find something to wear.

It was a warm and sunny day, so I opted for a couple of tanks to layer and my khaki shorts. After hanging up my wet towels, I dried my hair most of the way and decided that it was good enough. _It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone_. I slipped into my flip flops and headed out to find my brother.

Emmett was sitting at the island it the kitchen drinking a bottle of water listening to the radio that was on the counter.

"Okay Em, I'm ready," I said, bouncing to a stop in front of him.

"Well, you look like you feel better. Nice bath?" Emmett asked.

"Oh Em, yeah, that bathroom is great. Especially compared to some of the dives we've been staying at. This place is so much better than a motel. Come on, I'm hungry," I said smiling.

"Hell yes, bring on the food."

"Emmett, please remember your manners. They seem like nice people. Try to tone yourself down just a little," I pleaded. My brother is a great guy but he can be a little boisterous at times.

We made our way up to the main house and saw a few picnic tables in the yard on the other side of the house. They were placed under a couple of huge shade trees. I saw Mrs. Cullen coming out of the house with her hands full and ran to her to help.

"Here, let me grab that for you," I offered.

"Oh, thank you, dear. Just set it on that first table," she said, handing me a bowl of some kind of pasta salad. It must have been the last of the food, the table looked awfully full. _Good thing, she must have guessed by Em's size that he could eat a lot._

There was a tall good looking blond guy working the grill. Alice was holding a platter for him to put the burgers on. There were a few people sitting at the main picnic table already.

"Everyone, this is Emmett and Bella. They are staying in cabin three for a couple of days," Mrs. Cullen said. "Please, sit," she told us.

All eyes turned to look at us. What beautiful eyes they were, too. They all were really good looking people. Jasper Whitlock, we learned, was the man working the grill. He was what Mrs. Cullen called their barn manager. Apparently, he and Alice were and item. Mrs. Cullen introduced us to the pretty girl sitting at the opposite end of the table.

"Rosalie, meet Emmett and Bella Swan," Mrs. Cullen said. "Emmett, Bella, this is Rosalie, my niece. She is an animal therapist here at the ranch." Rosalie had her blond hair up in a pony tail and was dressed similar to me, a tank and shorts. She gave us a smile and nod as we sat at the opposite end of the table.

"Hi. Welcome," she said smiling warmly.

"These must be our new guests," we heard from someone coming up behind us. As I turned to look, there was another blond man approaching our group. _Geez, I thought to myself, did we drop into the Twilight Zone? All these blond, beautiful people. _

"This is my husband," Mrs. Cullen told us.

"Hi, I'm Carlisle, welcome," he said.

"It is nice to meet you Mr. Cullen, you all have a beautiful place here," I said.

"Please, we don't stand on formalities here. Call me Carlisle." He had a 1000 watt smile.

"That's right, I'm Esme. Now, lets eat."

As the food was passed around, Alice started asking us questions. "Where are you from? Where are you two headed?"

"Uh, we're just making our way to Washington. We have some relatives out there." Emmett told her. We had decided that the less we actually said about ourselves and our situation, the better. No need to get anyone else involved in our mess.

"What is it that you do here, Alice?" I asked, trying to get the focus off of us.

"Oh, I am an animal therapist like Rosalie. We help the rescued animals get to a place where they can trust humans again." she explained. "We really do it all here. My dad and brother are vets, Rose and I do the therapy, and Jazz runs the barns. He makes sure that all the other needs of the rescued animals are met.

Just as there was a lull in the conversation, I heard a vehicle come racing up the driveway, crunching to a hard stop. I turned to look and everything kind of stood still. This gorgeous man jumped out of a Chevy 4x4 and headed our way. He was tall and nicely built. His coppery mop of hair seemed to match his mood, wild and a little out of control.

"Alice, so help me, that was the last fucking blind date you will ever set me up on! What a complete waste of time!" he all but yelled.

"Edward, we have guests!" Esme scolded.

He looked around, his eyes falling on Emmett and myself. He smiled at us sheepishly.

"Pardon, me. I apologize. I didn't realize we had guests. Alice, may I please speak to you over here?" he was pointing to over by the grill.

Emmett and I just eyed our food while we heard the rest of what Edward had to say to his sister. Apparently, he thought they were far enough away.

"Alice, that was the last time. That girl only wanted to know my bank balance. What did you see in her to think I'd be interested? I realize you think it is your mission in life to find me someone, but just back the hell off," Edward hissed at Alice.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I thought she seemed nice. I just want you to be happy, Edward. I won't do that to you anymore," Alice said, hugging her brother.

"Okay you two, come join us. We're going to have to get back to the barns soon," Carlisle said.

After they sat down, the conversation seemed to pick back up. Mostly the others talked about the things they had to do after eating. Edward sat down on the opposite side of the table from me and Em. He looked at us like he wanted to say something. I caught his eyes on mine and blushed, looking at my plate.

"So, again, I apologize. My sister has been trying to set me up since the beginning of spring, today was the last straw." he paused. "Umm, yeah, I'm Edward," he said extending a hand towards Emmett.

"Emmett and Isabella Swan," Em said smiling and grabbing Edwards hand.

They shook hands saying hello to each other.

"So, are you two on your honeymoon?" The whole table shook due to everyone's laughter.

"Um, no. We are brother and sister," I responded, blushing again, of course.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry. I guess I just assumed.." Edward stammered.

"Well you know what they say about assuming things." I put my hand out to him.

"Hi, you can call me Bella." He seemed to take my hand rather quickly. His hand was warm and I felt a little tingly sensation.

"Hello Bella, it is a pleasure to meet you." He said with a tight smile, quickly looking away.

Wow, maybe his coolness is the reason why he was single. _Good luck with that, Alice, _I thought to myself.

We had finished eating and were just talking about nothing in general when Carlisle spoke up.

"Emmett, Bella, it was a pleasure to meet you. I have some things I need to attend to, but I hope to see you a little later at the bonfire." He smiled then left for one of the barns.

"Oh, that's a great idea! We're having a bonfire tonight and you guys just have to come!" Alice squealed.

Emmett and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders.

"Sure. Um…when? Where? " I asked her.

"We'll start setting up in an hour or so. You can hang around here, if you want, or just come back then." Jasper answered.

"Esme, why don't I help you get this cleaned up?" I said already gathering dishes.

"Oh, there's no need. You're a guest." She admonished.

"I insist." She gave me a look of defeat and smiled.

"Alright. Thank you, Bella."

"Emmett, Bella, it was nice meeting you. I imagine I'll be seeing you later." Edward said to us as he walked away.

_Gah! _was all I could think. He was… amazing? Gorgeous? Beautiful? I couldn't pick one. I shook my head trying to clear it. I had never reacted like this to someone I'd just met. Hell, I'd never reacted to anyone like this ever.

Emmett went to hang out with Jasper while I continued helping get dinner cleaned up. When we finished, we filled up two coolers with beer, soda and water, we pulled them out to the fire pit.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Let's get to know Edward a little better, shall we?**

**xXkiwicullenXx, author of the wonderful story With Or Without You, Lives in Chaos and it's predecessors, is my source of light and wisdom! Go check her out!**

**Rated M for the usual reasons: L & L**

**Twilight is owned by Stephanie Meyers**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 4-Edward's past

EPOV

_Stupid stupid stupid_. I can't believe I let my sister talk me into another one of these damn things! My sister, Alice, has been setting me up on blind dates since the beginning of spring.

Well, they haven't really been blind, per se. It's a small town. I've seen them around and know who they are, but didn't really know any of them. I am usually busy on the ranch, and socialize mainly with my family and a few close friends. Now, after two months of this, I've had enough. I told her this one had to be a lunch date. No way was I getting myself into another darkly lit, secluded dinner situation. The last couple had me practically beating those desperate, vapid women off with my chair.

I mean, does my sister even know me? Does she actually think that these women are my type? There was one who seemed to have potential. Jane was her name. She was smart and pretty, even a little sexy. We went on a second date and her true colors came through loud and clear.

She asked me if I liked animals, which being a vet, of course I did. She then proceeded to tell me about her cat, Mr. Fuzzy-paws. Apparently he was the leader of a group of vampire cats and had plans to take over the town council. She asked me if I would like to join forces with them. Needless to say, I made a hasty retreat.

So, here I am at Vinnie's. It's the nicest restaurant in town. They have a nice weekend lunch buffet. I am supposed to be meeting Tanya in the lobby. Alice told me that Tanya is here for the summer visiting her cousins.

As I walked into the lobby area, I noticed a tall, strawberry blond woman looking around the restaurant. Here goes nothing.

"Um, hi. Are you Tanya?" I asked putting on a polite smile.

"Oh, yes. You must be Edward, very nice to meet you," she said holding out her hand.

I took it and gave her a gentle shake. "Let's go sit down." I held my arm out, indicating that she should lead the way.

The waiter came to get drink orders and told us to help ourselves to the buffet.

"Buffet? You mean we have to get our own food?" Tanya questioned wrinkling her nose.

"Yes. It is a rather nice buffet. Come on, let's go," I said encouragingly.

I allowed Tanya to go ahead of me. She looked at each item as if something was going to bite her. She finally picked some fruit and a muffin. I decided that the roasted chicken and Caesar salad looked pretty good. We got back to our table and I started the conversation.

"So, Tanya, where are you from?" I thought that was a safe topic to begin with.

"I live in Port Angeles, Washington." She smiled at me and it gave me a chill.

"How are you finding Bender?"

"Well, it seems a little dull. Port Angeles isn't huge, but it's bigger than this place," she said with a smile.

"What do you do for a living," I asked, starting on my salad.

"I am a personal shopper for home décor. I work with realtors who offer my services to people who are buying new homes," she stated proudly. "Although, I don't know how much longer I'll be doing that. I was working with my former fiancé, and I don't see that working out." She offered.

"What happened with your fiancé?" I wondered aloud.

"Well, with the housing market not doing very well, he lost a lot of money. I just couldn't see myself staying with him any longer." She said this as if it was common sense. This woman was a fucking gold digger.

"So, Edward," she purred, "you're a veterinarian, right?

How big is your practice?"

I figured I'd better nip this in the bud. "I mostly work on the ranch, which is my family's animal rescue facility. It doesn't really pay. I do make calls on some of the local farms and such, but that is just occasionally," I said bluntly.

"How do you live? Make money?" she asked completely shocked.

"Well, I make enough on the side to take care of my needs," I explained. I knew that I needed to end this torture. "Tanya, it has been nice meeting you, but I think that we are looking for different things out of life," I said hoping that would be it.

"Yes, Edward, I agree. But, you know, if you maybe wanted to get together some night while I'm still here…" she said seductively.

I gave her a look that I hope conveyed my thoughts and said, "Uh, no."

"Fine, I guess this date is over!" she screeched and then stormed out to her car.

I paid the bill, cursing Alice out the entire way to my truck. Wait until I get my hands on her. Does she even talk to these women before setting them up with me? Fuck this shit. No more.

I raced out of the parking lot down and down the road. I can get my own women just fine, thank you very much. I dated in college and had no problem getting women. I even had a girlfriend for a while.

Although, after Lauren found out that I'd planned on working on our ranch after graduation, she didn't stick around for long. I was beginning to think that all women were either crazy or money hungry whores. Well, I know that isn't true. None of the women in my family are like that. I guess I just haven't found the right one. Yet.

I had a couple of stops to make before I could get home to wring Alice's neck. First, I stopped off at Black's cattle ranch. They had a couple of new calves that needed a once over and vaccinations. That only took an hour or so.

My next stop ended up taking almost 3 hours. The Stanley's bred German Shepherds. Their oldest daughter, Jessica, volunteered at our ranch during the summer and weekends during school. They were very reputable and took care of their animals well. I had two litters of puppies that needed checkups and vaccinations. There was one little guy I was going to have to keep an eye on. I gave them instructions for the pups and was on my way.

I got to thinking about lunch again and got my self worked up. Pulling into the driveway, I was still pissed. As I was coming to a stop, I saw that the family was gathered for dinner.

I zeroed in on Alice. Jumping out of my truck, I stomped over towards the table. "Alice, so help me, that was the last fucking blind date you will ever set me up on! What a complete waste of time!" I yelled.

My mother's harsh voice was the next thing I heard. "Edward! We have guests!"

I looked around the table. Oh shit. My eyes landed on two unknown faces. I took a couple of deep breaths before apologizing to them.

I asked Alice to step away from the group so I could finish this blind date bullshit once and for all. My sister seemed to agree to cease and desist rather easily.

I grabbed a burger and lemonade before sitting down across from our guests. I apologized again and introduced myself.

"Emmett and Isabella Swan" the big guy told me with a huge smile. Hmm, newlyweds, I assumed out loud. The furiously blushing girl sitting across from me told me that they were siblings and introduced herself as Bella.

"Hello, Bella. It is a pleasure to meet you." I hoped it didn't come off as rude, but I was in no mood to deal with the opposite sex right now.

We finished eating and I just sat back listening to the talk around the table.

My father invited our guests to our Saturday bonfire. It was something we did with our volunteers as well as guests when we had them. After some more idle chit chat, everyone started cleaning up and heading off to our various chores.

"Emmett, Bella, it was nice meeting you. I imagine I'll see you later," I told them as I was walking away.

"Yeah, you too, Edward," Emmett hollered over his shoulder.

"See ya later!" Bella said smiling.

She had a beautiful smile. Her eyes lit up when she smiled. She seemed genuine and nice. Maybe there are nice girls out there after all.

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**A/N: Well? Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I may have forgot to mention that this story has been on TWCS since the middle of December. It is complete and it will be posted in it's entirety with in a couple of days. Thanks for reading.**

**Kari, as always...thank you for everything.**

**Rated M for L & L**

**Twilight owns me but Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 5-The Bonfire

EPOV

I sat in the office trying to go through charts. I say trying because for some reason I couldn't get Bella out of my mind. It's not like I talked to her all that much. I had only been in her presence for half an hour.

She seemed very nice. Confident, but not overly. She was very nice to look at, as well. Lustrous dark brown hair. Beautiful brown eyes. Oh, and that neck. It was sleek and pale. I could see the bluish veins running along the sides. Great, now I've got a hard on for some girl I don't even know. Maybe Alice is right. I need a girlfriend.

I stood up to make my rounds, trying to shake this girl off. They were probably leaving in a couple of days. It's not like anything could happen between us. She probably has a boyfriend anyway.

Pushing Bella from my mind, I got to work. There were only two patients that needed my attention this evening, so it shouldn't take me long. We had a female cat with her litter of kittens brought in last week. She was malnourished, and because of that, so were her kittens. We had been feeding her a high calorie food a few times a day to get her healthy again. She and her babies were looking better today, and the kittens were starting to move around.

My next patient was a small horse that our local 'animal cops' brought in. His owner neglected him, both with food and care. His hooves had been overgrown and he was also malnourished. His right front hoof had an abscess that I needed to check on.

"How you doin', boy?" I said as I ran a hand down his neck. He huffed at me when I lifted his leg. "Yes, that is looking better," I told him, giving him a pat on his shoulder.

"See you tomorrow," I said as I made my way back to the office. I knew my help would be needed to get ready for the bonfire, so I finished up and went out to join my family.

I met up with Jasper to haul the wood to the pit. I saw him giving me a questioning look.

"What Jazz?"

"So, Tanya not a keeper, huh?" he asked with a smirk.

"Kiss my ass," I said tossing a piece of bark at him.

"Hey, I talked to Alice and told her to leave you alone."

"Thanks, man. I hope she finally drops this. Even if she doesn't, I'm done." I told him.

We both turned to the sound of a booming voice.

"Hey, you guys need any help?" Emmett asked.

"Sure, we're just gathering the wood for the fire and then we have some benches over by barn two." Jasper told him pointing to the barn.

"So, how long are you and your sister staying?" I asked.

"We'll probably be here for a week or two. We've been traveling most of the week and just want to stay put for a while." He explained.

"Where are you headed?" Jazz asked him.

"Well, we are just traveling around for the summer probably headed to Washington. We have some distant relatives out there," he said looking out over the horizon.

"Stay away from Port Angeles," I said under my breath, or so I thought.

"What was that Edward?" My best friend with super human hearing asked me.

I proceeded to tell the guys about my most recent date from hell. They seemed to get a kick out of my pain.

"I'm glad I'm not single anymore," was all Jasper had to say.

"Well, I'm just glad that _my_ sister doesn't pull that kind of shit with me!" Emmett said. "It's more like I do that to her."

"You're kidding me? Your sister doesn't have a boyfriend?" I couldn't believe that. I also couldn't believe I said that out loud. Why should I care?

I caught Jasper eyeing me suspiciously. The bastard had a way of knowing things and it creeped me out sometimes.

"No man. She had a boyfriend in college. It didn't last very long, thankfully. Eric was a douche." Emmett snickered. "I had to put the fear of Emmett into him." We all laughed.

Emmett's look changed to a more solemn one. "Bella hasn't gone out with anyone since our parents died. She is better now, just afraid to get back out there, I think."

"Wow, sorry to hear about your parents," I said.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" Jasper said with a look of concern.

Emmett told us that their parents were in a horrific car accident on their way home from Bella's college graduation. They were killed instantly when a semi-truck slammed into them head on.

"That's awful. I can't even imagine something like that happening," I told him.

"Well, it was tough. Still is sometimes, but we've both gotten to a much better place." Em sighed.

"Hey, you guys about done painting each other's nails over there?" My cousin Rosalie thinks that she is so funny.

"Screw you, Hale!" I threw back at her. It was all good natured. We tease each other all the time.

"Come on guys, my girl is waiting on me," Jasper said already walking towards the barn where the benches were.

"Speaking of," Emmett said with his hand on my arm to hold me back, "What's the story with Rosalie. Is she single?"

"Yes, Emmett, my cousin is single. Why do you ask?" I said crossing my arms across my chest. This guy seemed nice enough, but hell, he was still a stranger.

"Well, she seems really nice," he hedged, "and hot," he said with a big grin.

"Just remember, you'll be leaving soon, so take it easy with her. Got me?" I warned. Jasper and I stopped by one of the benches.

"Yeah, I hear you. I just want to get to know her," he said while kicking at the dirt.

"Okay, come on," I said, clapping him on the back. He lifted the other bench by himself while Jasper and I got the other.

We headed over to the fire that dad had already started. The girls had pulled a couple of coolers out. One with soda and water, the other with beer. The kids that volunteered here had shown up and were arguing over seating arrangements.

I looked up and saw Bella walking across the yard towards us. Emmett had already sat next to Rose and seemed oblivious to anything else. Everyone else had coupled up, so I figured I should be friendly and offer her a seat. All the chairs were taken, so one of the benches was all that was left.

"Hi, Bella. Grab a spot on the bench. Can I get you something to drink?" I asked.

"A beer would be great," she answered smiling at me. Wow, she had a beautiful smile. I stared at her a couple seconds longer than necessary before grabbing a bottle from the cooler.

"Thanks," she said while I sat next to her, handing her a beer. "It's beautiful here," she said looking up at the stars. The sky was clear and it was dark enough to see some constellations.

"Yeah, it really is," I said looking at her.

"So, Bella, where are you and Emmett from?" I asked her.

She gave a quick glance to her brother and answered. "New York City. Em and I were born and raised in upstate New York, but I followed him to the city when I went to college."

"What did you major in?" I asked as I leaned over to rest my elbows on my knees.

"English Literature," she said with a sad smile.

"So, what kind of work do you do," I asked, wanting to lighten her mood.

"Well, I work for a local animal shelter," she said with a happy smile this time. I much prefer the happy smile. "What a coincidence, huh?"

"What do you use an English Lit degree for at an animal shelter," I said laughing.

"Damn, I'm sorry. That sounded so rude," I said sitting back up. Thankfully, she didn't seem offended.

"No, that's okay. Um, well, I never got a chance to use it. Our parents died after I graduated and I had a tough time for a while. My therapist suggested I find something to do helping others. You know, it's supposed to help cope with the loss. Anyway, that is how I ended up at the shelter, and I really like it there, so I stayed."

"Well, if you like, I can give you the grand tour around here. How's tomorrow sound?" I asked smiling my best smile.

"Sure, that sounds great. What time?" she asked smiling right back at me.

"On Sundays, mom makes a big breakfast for the family and guests. We eat around 10. Why don't we do it after that?" I suggested.

"Sounds good. I think I am going to turn in for the night. Let Em know for me? He seems…distracted. Thank you for a nice evening, Dr. Cullen," she said playfully.

And with that, Bella walked off to her cabin. I know, because I watched her go. Her hair was swinging softly, her hips were swaying gently. Shit. This girl could be trouble.

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**A/N: What do you think? Thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: So this chapter is a bit shorter than the other-umm, short chapters. Yeah. Just a reminder to the critics out there that this was the very first thing I wrote and while I am proud of it, I also recognize many mistakes and places where the writing could have been better. I have no desire to go back and repair any of it as my head is in a new story that I am working on as well as other projects.**

**My source of inspiration, my friend and fellow author, xXKiwiCullenXx, has a new story out called With Or Without You. It is fantastic and I urge you to go read it. Eventide by QueenofHearts Madwriter is another you should check out. Wonderful story that is just NOT getting enough love. **

**As you know, SM owns Twilight.**

**Rated M for language and lemons**

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Chapter 6-Later

Cullen Rescue Ranch

BPOV

After I got back to the cabin, I started looking around the kitchen. Mrs. Cullen, _Esme,_ had told me after dinner that the kitchen was stocked with a few basics. I found coffee and filters, tea bags, bottled water. There was even some microwave popcorn. I found the tea kettle, filled it and started the burner. I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and sat at the island to wait. I started thinking about the events of the day.

The Cullens were nice. That seems like too simple of a word to describe them. Everyone at dinner seemed genuinely interested in us. You could see the sincerity in their eyes and warm smiles. I could see the love they shared for one another just in the way treated each other during dinner.

Esme and Carlisle had something special. I saw their eyes sparkle as they leaned into each other, whispering.

Alice and Jasper didn't have to say anything-they just looked at each other, and you could see the love.

Rosalie was funny and a little coarse, but she was not mean. She watched her family with pride.

And, of course, there was Edward. I had been mesmerized as I watched him stalk across the driveway towards his sister. He was tall and broad across the shoulders. He had a nice frame, not too skinny. When he sat down, I noticed his beautiful green eyes. Their color was almost emerald-like. Oh, and that hair. It seemed an unruly mess, but on closer inspection, was more like ordered chaos. Shorter on the sides and messy on the top. And even with the argument with Alice, you could tell there was no real animosity between them.

This was a family. A close, loving family. I was jealous. I missed this so much. The comfort, the camaraderie, the support, the feeling of completeness. My brother did what he could. He was always there for me, supporting me, caring for me. We did that for each other, because we were all we had. Sure, we have friends at home, had jobs we found fulfilling. We were happy. I wanted to be happ_ier_.

The whistling kettle broke me out of my thoughts. I found a cup, tossed a tea bag in and filled it up. I found a bowl for my popcorn and grabbed the bag from the microwave. Gathering up my snack and tea, I headed for the comfy looking chair in the living room. Hmm, I wonder what's, or rather, _whom_ is keeping Emmett. He and Rosalie seemed awfully chummy tonight, I chuckled to myself. Without the trouble hanging over our heads, I think they would make a nice couple.

The bonfire was nice. I hadn't been to one since I was a kid at camp. Everyone looked comfortable and happy. Jasper had his arm around Alice's shoulders, holding her close while they whispered and laughed with each other. Carlisle and Esme held hands and just watched the fire. Em and Rosalie were talking and laughing. The teen volunteers were roasting marshmallows and joking around. Everyone was relaxed and enjoying themselves. Even Edward and I had a comfortable conversation. As I thought about home, I remembered why we were here.

The trouble, I had almost forgotten. I hope I didn't say too much to Edward, I thought, remembering Em's instructions about not saying too much about our predicament. Edward was so easy to talk to. I felt myself wanting to open up to him. It felt comfortable and right.

Yeah, that's all I need. Develop a crush on this hot guy, only to have to leave in a week or two. _Get it together, Bella!_ Still, it felt nice having the beginnings of an attraction to Edward. I haven't felt that way in a while. I decided that I could be friends with them all. Enjoy our time here. I was interested in seeing the rescue facility tomorrow. I looked forward to seeing how they did things in comparison to the shelter back home.

As I picked up my bowl and cup and headed towards the sink, Em came through the door.

"Hey, Em, have fun?" I asked as I washed my dishes.

"Bells, I think I'm in love," Emmett said laughing. "Rose is awesome-funny, smart, beautiful. She's great."

"That's nice, Em. You gonna take her back to New York with us?" I asked effectively ending his good humor.

"I hear what you're saying. This sucks," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Speaking of home, when do you think we can go back?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"I'm not sure. I was thinking of buying a cheap cell phone to call back home with. I'll give Tyler a call and maybe Mrs. Cope."

Mrs. Cope was our neighbor. She was one of those older ladies that knew everything that was going on with everyone else. If someone had been hanging around our place, she would know.

"When are you going to do this?" I wondered.

"Rose invited me to go into Billings with her tomorrow. She has to get some supplies." He was smiling again. "Do you want to come with us? I really don't want you to stay here alone all day."

"No Em, I'll be fine. Edward offered to show me around the facility tomorrow," I told him.

"Edward, hmm? Yeah, you two looked cozy tonight," he said playfully.

"Us? We weren't even touching. You and Rosalie were a lot _cozier_ than we were!" I laughed.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever," Em said a little suspiciously. Why I don't know. We were only talking, being friendly.

"Oh, Em, uh…I told Edward where we're from. I didn't give any details. Just general information…," I told him with worry on my face.

"That's alright, Bella. I told Rose, too. Just don't say too much, okay?" he said, kissing my hair. "Goodnight, baby sis. I love you."

As we walked down the hall I told him, "I love you, too, Em. 'Night."

I went into the bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth, thinking back to the bonfire. I pulled my pajamas out and changed. As I turned the bedside lamp off and snuggled under the blankets, all I could see was coppery hair and green eyes.

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**A/N: Thoughts? Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: It's time for Edward and Bella to get a little closer, everyone ready? Oh yeah, there is a bit of citrus in the form of self love in this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Montanaward has been claimed by xXKiwiCullenXx. Just saying.**

**SM owns Twilight and lucky her-she's been able to watch BD being filmed!**

**Rated M for L & L**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 7-The Tour

EPOV

I woke to my alarm at 8. I turned it off and laid back down. After stretching away the fog of sleep, I remembered what today was. I was showing Bella around the facility.

I got up and hopped in the shower. As I soaped up, I was trying to keep my thoughts under control. Just picturing Bella in my mind was getting my blood pumping.

I quickly washed my hair and rinsed off. With my towel wrapped around my waist, I pulled out my jeans and a t-shirt. After rubbing a towel over my hair, I got dressed and headed downstairs. Mom already had coffee brewed, I filled my travel cup and headed out to the barns.

Seeing the run down old pick up in front of barn 1, I was glad that Mike was on time today. He, Jessica and Seth trade off on Sundays and it's a pretty light chore load. We just have the kid's feed and water the animals, make sure the bedding is clean. I was going to check on the momma cat and the horse to make sure they had a good night.

"Dr. Cullen?" Mike called out to me.

"Yeah, Mike?"

"Do you mind if Seth takes my shift tomorrow? I'd like to take Jess to that new water park. It's supposed to be really warm." Mike looked anxious.

"Sure, Mike. Just as long as your shift is covered. Have fun tomorrow," I told him as I walked off to check on the cats.

BPOV

When I woke up, it took me a minute to remember where I was._ The Cullen's. Edward_. Picking up my phone, I saw that it was 8:30. I got up and went to the kitchen to start some coffee. I ran my hand through my hair and brought the ends up to my nose. Ugh. I can smell the smoke from the bonfire. I decided to jump into that fabulous shower while the coffee was brewing.

After the water was nice and hot, I got in and wet my hair. While I lathered up my hair, I thought of the day a head of me. Edward was showing me around the rescue facility today. I was excited, for more than one reason, if I was being honest with myself.

I washed my body then rinsed my hair. This shower was really nice. I'll have to thank Alice again for inviting us here. I wrapped a towel around my hair, and another around my body and headed out to the kitchen. I stopped at Emmett's door to make sure he was up. I heard the shower running so I kept walking.

Mmm, the coffee smells good this morning. I flipped on the radio and poured myself some coffee. Just as I was taking a sip, there was a knock at the door. Not thinking, I went right over and opened it. To my surprise, it was Edward.

"Good morning, Edward," I said happily. He just stood there staring at me with his mouth open. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Hey Bells, maybe you should put some clothes on!" Emmett said, laughing hysterically.

I looked down, mortified as I realized that, yes, I was dressed in only a towel. I jumped back behind the door, with my head peeking out around it. Edward seemed to have recovered from his initial shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so embarrassed!" I squeaked out.

"Bella, it's okay. I was just coming over to see if you'd like to go horseback riding after the tour?" He asked with a really big smile on his face.

"Um, yeah, sure. It's been a while since I've ridden, but I would like that," I stammered.

"Okay. Just thought I'd let you know so you could…uh…dress appropriately." He smirked.

"Thank you, Edward. I'll see you at breakfast." I said, quickly closing the door.

I glared at Emmett, who was still chuckling. Taking my coffee, I went to my room to dress. I figured jeans and a t-shirt should be fine. I quickly dressed, put my hair up in a pony tail, grabbed my sneakers and went out to meet up with Emmett.

"Emmett, are you ready to go?" I asked, looking around for him.

"Yes, I was just getting my phone. Rose wants to leave right after we eat. Do you have your phone?" he asked.

"Uh-huh, " I nodded as I tied my shoes. "Okay, let's go."

EPOV

_Holy shit. Bella was only wearing a towel. _She was gorgeous. I'd been trying to keep images like that out of my mind since I woke this morning. Now, I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. I had to get myself under control. I couldn't sit with my family, and her, with the massive hard on I was sporting.

I made my way quickly to the office in the barn. There was a small bathroom in there. Mike was already gone, and no one should be out here right now, but I locked the bathroom door anyway.

I dropped my pants and boxers and grabbed my cock. All I could see when I closed my eyes was Bella in only a towel. I saw her beautiful, bright brown eyes, her pouty, plump lips, her hair swinging and hips swaying. I imagined her slowly removing that towel. These were the images in my mind as I stroked myself. I started slow. I could only imagine that it was Bella's hand I felt, instead of my own. That thought sped up my actions. I was pumping myself like a madman, feeling the tightness in my abdomen growing stronger.

"Bella…Bella." I chanted her name, cumming harder than I expected. What the hell was wrong with me? I just met this girl, she was leaving soon and I had no right to think that anything would even happen.

After I got myself under control, I cleaned myself up and left the bathroom. As I walked to the office door, Jasper entered.

"Hey, Ed. What's up? You look…off. Feeling okay?" He was looking at me with an arched eyebrow and a smirk on his face.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just was making sure Mike had everything locked up out here."

"Okay. That's a good story to stick with. You want to tell me what's really going on?"

I just looked at him like I had no idea what he was talking about. He looked right back at me. His look said he knew exactly what was going on.

"Fine," I huffed. "I just can't get her out of my head. I was actually doing fine until I had the bright idea of taking her horseback riding after the tour." I told him.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked. I noticed that he didn't ask who I was talking about. Was I that transparent?

"Well, I thought it would be thoughtful of me to ask her about it so she could dress appropriately. I went to their cabin and she answered the door in only a towel," I said tightly. "And now, I can't think of her any other way. That image is burned onto my brain."

"So you were….?" He pointed at the bathroom. Jasper's shoulders were shaking in silent laughter.

"Yes." I replied not meeting his eyes. "I've been reminding myself that she is leaving soon. I have no right to try and start something with her."

"While that may be true, I saw the way she was looking at you yesterday. I think there's something there. Just take it slow, see if she shows any interest. Let her take the lead. You never know, dude, stranger things have happened. You should just go with it. Now, let's get into the house before someone comes looking for us."

Jasper and I got cleaned up and asked my mom what we could do to help. She said 'nothing' and to go sit. We took our seats and immediately had our heads together, still speaking about how I was supposed to handle Bella. Handle Bella…yeah, I'd like that. Shortly after my musings, Emmett and Bella entered the dining room.

BPOV

It was a short walk to the house. As we rounded the corner, I immediately noticed that the picnic tables were empty. Em and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. Just then, Alice came out the front door.

"Oh good, you're here. Come on in. Everything is just about ready." She stood back for us to enter. "Take the first left into the dining room," she told us as we passed her.

Wow, this house is huge. The living room to the right was big with lots of seating. We turned into the dining room and saw a long table with comfortable looking chairs.

There were 3 chairs on each side and one on either end of the table. Jasper and Edward sitting on one side of the table with their heads together. They both looked up at us smiling as we came in and quickly went back to talking quietly.

I knew I was being paranoid, but I had the feeling they were talking about the incident that happened earlier with Edward and I. Carlisle was sitting at the opposite end of where Edward was sitting. I pulled out the chair next to him and asked if it was alright to sit there.

"Of course, Bella. Sit," he said warmly. Emmett sat next to me. Esme, Rosalie and Alice came in from what I thought was probably the kitchen, setting a few items on the table. Esme took the chair on the other end, while Alice sat next to Jasper and Rosalie next to Emmett.

"This looks wonderful, Esme," I said to her smiling. As I was bringing my eyes back from hers, I caught Edwards. He was looking at me, kind of blankly. He snapped out of it when Esme tried to pass him a dish. I knew I was blushing and dropped my eyes to my plate. I shook it off and started filling my plate and passing dishes. There were scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, biscuits, toast, fruit and an assortment of jellies and preserves.

"Bella, Emmett, how did you sleep?" Carlisle asked.

"Good." said Em around a mouthful of food.

"Very well, thank you," I told him. "By the way, Alice. I just wanted to say thank you for offering the cabin to us. It is really nice and so much more comfortable than a motel."

"No problem, Bella. I knew you were good people when I saw you," she replied cheerily.

"Who did you have design and decorate the cabin?" I asked to no one in particular.

Edward answered first. "Mom did most of it, with Alice's help." I smiled at him and looked at Esme.

"It is beautiful. I love the kitchen. It is a small space, but you've utilized it so well. The bathroom is my favorite, though," I said giggling.

"The bathroom?" Jasper asked with raised eyebrows. I swear he nudged Edward's side.

"I have this thing about bathrooms. I love the big tub, and it has jets. That was a nice surprise. The shower looks great, too. I loved the view from the tub." As I finished rambling I noticed Edward gaping at me. I quickly averted my eyes and thankfully, Esme took up the conversation. I sat back and just listened for the rest of the meal.

"That was great Mrs. Cullen," my brother sighed. "Next to Bella's, your cooking is the best!"

"Thank you, Emmett. And it's Esme, remember?" She smiled at him. "So, Bella, you like to cook?"

"I do. I love to cook. I bake also. I was thinking of using that wonderful kitchen in the cabin. It seems a shame to have those great appliances and not use them."

"Bellsy, you'll have to make some of your muffins for everyone, and your lasagna. Oh, and that one chicken dish, you know..." Emmett was out of control.

"Okaay, Em. It's chicken and rice and it's nothing special. Thank you for breakfast, Esme. Can I help you clean up?" I asked, already standing and picking up empty dishes. I was trying to deflect the attention I was currently receiving.

"Sure." Esme replied. "Boys, grab the condiments and leftovers and put them away. Girls, get the dirty dishes and bring them to the sink."

We had everything cleaned up quickly and everyone was scattering to do whatever they had plans for.

"Okay Bells, me and Rose are heading out. You've got your phone?" He asked me again as we walked out to where all the vehicles were parked.

"Yes, Emmett. Can you pick up a couple things for me? I want to make some muffins." I handed him a list that I had quickly jotted down in the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Belly. Love you," he crooned as he got into Rosalie's jeep.

"Thanks Emmy. Love you, too."

"Ready?" Edward asked.

"Yep, let's go."

We walked to the barn just chit chatting about nothing in particular. It was going to be a beautiful day. Sunny with a few clouds high in the sky. There was a nice breeze blowing and it was nothing like New York City.

"Why does Emmett call you everything but Bella?" Edward asked. I started to answer when he interrupted me. "Shit, I'm sorry, that was rude. Forget I asked." He said running a hand through his hair.

"No, that's okay. Ever since I can remember, my dad called me by some silly nickname. Emmett picked up on it, and I used to hate it. After my parents died, I vowed to never complain about it again. That sounds silly saying it out loud like that." I said blushing and wishing I kept my mouth shut.

"I can understand that. It probably makes you feel close to your dad." Edward said with concern.

"Yes, I guess it does." I was finding it really easy to talk to Edward.

"Well, here we are. Uh, let's start with our residents."

We walked in through the door that was at one end of the barn. There was a door to the immediate left that Edward pointed out as their veterinary office. After a few feet, we turned right and were faced with a long hallway. On either side were cages.

"So here is where we keep our animals. And this is mama kitty and her babies." He had crouched down, pointing into a cage. "Someone in town found them in an abandoned house. It was touch and go for a while, but all they really needed was food. She is on a high calorie diet and they all seem to be responding very well." Edward was scratching 'mama's' head.

"We see that a lot in the city. People just move and leave their animals behind, locked in apartments with no way of taking care of themselves," I responded sadly.

Edward continued on down the hallway, pointing out the different animals with a short explanation as to why they were there. There was a door at the end of the hall that when opened, lead to the outside of the next barn that had it's own door.

"This is the rehab barn. I'll give you a quick walk through, but I know that Rose and Alice are looking forward to showing you around," he chuckled.

It was a quick tour. Five minutes later, he was ready to go the stables. I was feeling a little apprehensive. This man was stunning and I was about to be out in a field, I assumed, alone with him. Deep breaths, Bella.

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**A/N: Leave me your thoughts. Thank you for reading!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Let's go for a little ride, shall we? Who wouldn't want to go horseback riding with Edward? Thanks to all who are reading and reviewing!**

**As always-sending my love and Montanaward to Kari.**

**Recs: With Or Without You by xXKiwiCullenXx  and Eventide by QueenofHearts Madwriter**

**SM owns Twilight**

**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 8-The Field

EPOV

Our stables were located behind and to the right of the barns. I needed to find out just exactly how long it had been since she had been riding.

"So, Bella, you said that it had been a while since you've ridden. How long has it been?"

"The last time was about 12 years ago, it was the last summer I went to camp. But I had been going to camp for years, so, I kind of remember what I'm doing."

"Well, I think I will let you ride Annie. She is very calm and responds very well. We are just going out on the trail that follows the perimeter of our property. She probably knows it better than me." He laughed.

I got the horses saddled up while we talked about our college years. Where we went, what we liked and disliked about it. I told her that I went to Montana State University because they had an excellent veterinary program and it was close to home. Our facility really only relies on donations, so hiring was at a minimum. If I stayed close to home, I could still help.

"All set," I said looking at Bella. "Come on, mount up." My mind immediately went into the gutter. Bella blushed. Could she possibly be thinking the same thing I was?

Bella walked over to Annie and put her foot in the stirrup and grabbing hold of the saddle's horn. She kind of lost her footing a bit, so I put my hands out to steady her. They landed right on her ass. I just went with it, lifting her up. She swung her leg over and settled into the saddle.

"Thanks." She said shyly.

_No problem whatsoever_, I thought to myself. I got on Sam and headed out. The trail was wide enough for us to ride side by side.

"I am really impressed with your facility, Edward. How do you all manage it? Do you really get enough in donations?" Bella's forehead was scrunched up. How cute is that?

"Well, my maternal grandparents were quite well off. When Grandpa Platt passed, he willed a lot of money to us. We all got a portion of it, as well as the biggest part going to this facility. He knew it was a dream my parents shared.

I also do some work on the side, as does Jasper. We all get a monthly stipend, and we all live at the main house. We manage pretty well, actually." I wondered if I was talking too much. "We do get a nice amount in donations, but that is mainly due to my parents. They do a lot of leg work to accomplish that."

"Wow, I am really admire the dedication you all have," Bella told me.

"Well, our parents, and our grandparents, instilled compassion and love for animals in us from a young age. When we were old enough to help, our facility started to grow. After Alice and I finished up with college, my parents were able to focus more on finding benefactors. We work well together and, I don't know, it just works."

"Do you all live together as well?" Bella asked.

I chuckled. "Yeah, we do. The house is pretty big. There are five bedrooms and three floors, including the attic. That's mine. Jazz and Al share a room on the second floor. Rose's room is there, too. Mom and Dad's room is on the first floor, as well as a guest room. With all the time we put in, like I said, it just works."

"So, what makes you so special that you get a whole floor to yourself?" She asked teasingly.

"I'm my parents' favorite," I said giving Sam a tap with my feet. With that he took off down the trail. I really shouldn't have done that because it either spooked Annie or Bella thought she should keep up. All I heard was a yelp and turned to see her on the ground with Annie just standing next to her. I ran Sam back to her and hopped off.

"Bella! Are you okay?" I asked kneeling next to her.

"Yes. I think it's mainly my pride that's hurt."

I took a hold of both her hands to help her up. I looked her over to see if there was any obvious damage.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, can we just walk a bit?"

"You know what they say, you need to get back on. Let's ride just a bit further, and we'll stop for a while, okay?" I asked, brushing her hair back behind her ear. "We'll go slow," I said trying to sound convincing.

"Alright. Will you hold her?" Bella looked a little scared.

"I got you, Bella." I held Annie with one hand and helped Bella up with the other. "See, you got this." I said patting Bella's knee. "Just stay next to me." I got on Sam and headed down the trail with Bella at my side. She seemed to settle down and looked more confident.

We followed the trail around the northwest corner of the property to a clearing.

"Oh, this is beautiful, Edward." Bella cried. "I keep using that word, but it just seems so fitting for everything around here."

There was a creek running along the northern edge of our property. The trail ran along it, and on the south side of the trail was a clearing filled with the summer's wildflowers.

"Let's stop here, Bella." I dismounted and took Annie's reins from her. I put my hands up to help Bella down. She swung her leg over a little too hard causing her to fall into my arms. We both just stayed there for a few extra unnecessary moments. Her back was to me and I had one arm under her arm and the other under one of her legs. I put her down and cleared my throat. "Uh, sorry," I stammered.

"Yeah, me too." Bella's face was a lovely shade of dark pink. "Should we tie them up somewhere?" she asked holding Annie's reins.

"No, Just drop them. They won't go far." I took a rolled up blanket I had on the back of my saddle, shook it out and layed it on the ground. I grabbed a couple bottles of water from the saddle bag.

"Here," handing one to Bella and sitting down on the blanket. She took it and sat next to me. "So, tell me about yourself," I asked.

"What do you want to know?" she smiled.

"I don't know, how about your life back in New York. Tell me about a typical day. Tell me about your friends," I suggested.

"Well, Emmett and I live in a fifth floor apartment. You already know where I work. I am usually at the shelter four to five days a week. I do a little bit of everything, but mainly I work with people wanting to adopt. I'm usually home by five, Em gets home an hour or two after me. If I don't cook, we go out. I guess that is a typical day." Bella shrugged her shoulders shyly.

"I do have a couple of friends. Angela I went to college with. She got married last year, so I don't see her as much as I used to. I work with Charlotte, she is my boss, but we've become good friends since I've been working there. That's pretty much it. I lead a very boring life."

"That doesn't sound too far off from my life," I sighed. "Okay, I have an idea. Let's play Q and A. You ask a question and we both answer, then I ask one and so on." I held up a hand in defense. "I know, it sounds lame, but let's give it a try, okay?" I looked at Bella for the okay to start. She nodded to go ahead.

We found out each other's favorites. Colors, movies, books, cereal, types of cars, animals. I discovered that Bella was smart and funny. She had me totally captivated. I found myself wanting to tell her everything. I caught her looking at me with a sweet smile on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"Huh? Nothing." She looked at the ground. "I just feel so comfortable with you. I don't usually talk this much about myself with people I don't know very well. It feels like I've known you for a lot longer." She was blushing again.

"I feel the same way, Bella. I find you so easy to talk to," I confessed. I probably looked bewildered, that's how I felt. What was I doing?

BPOV

He feels it, too. I don't know what I think I'm doing. I'm as bad as Emmett. We'll be here for a couple weeks at most. I can't get hung up on Edward. I found out that his favorite color is blue. He likes the Godfather movies and reads popular fiction. He loves Lucky Charms and his truck. He likes all animals, but his favorite is Sam.

"Your turn. What is your typical day?" I asked. Besides walking around looking gorgeous. _Damn blush_.

"We all take turns making breakfast. I usually put out dry cereal and fruit," he chuckled. "Then I head out to the barn and make my rounds. I look over all the animals, that usually takes up the most time. I occasionally get called out to a farm or into town. Sometimes I have the smaller animals brought to me. One day a week I go out and visit some of the local farms." Edward leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his knees.

"After we finish up at the barns, I hang out with Jazz or my family. We usually eat dinner together. I have a couple of friends I sometimes get together with. Jared and Paul, they're brothers. They have a sheep farm on the other side of town." He laughed. "I guess my life is boring, too."

Just then, my stomach rumbled. Edward got up from the blanket.

"Let's get you some lunch." He put his hands out to help me up.

When I was standing in front of him, he dropped a hand to my wa

ist. He took his other hand and ran his fingers down my face from my temple to my chin. We stood there just looking into each other's eyes. It seemed like minutes but was probably only about thirty seconds. Sam came up behind Edward, nuzzling his shoulder and huffing, breaking us out of our moment.

"Um, yeah. Let me get this blanket and we can go." Edward bent down to pick it up by a corner, still touching my arm. I gave his arm a squeeze and a gentle pat, "I'll grab the empty bottles."

He shook the blanket, rolled it up and put it back where he got it from. I put the bottles in his saddle bag and went to get Annie. I was determined to get on the damn horse without falling. Surprisingly, I accomplished it.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yep." Edward smiled.

I decided that I would get Annie trotting. I wanted to show off a little. After having trouble getting on and falling off, I felt I needed to prove myself not to be a complete idiot. I actually got her to gallop the last leg of the trail. Edward quickly caught up to me. We laughed together and made our way back faster than we left. When we got to the stables, I felt exhilarated. I even made it off the horse again without falling. We led the horses inside.

"That was a lot of fun," I told him, my smile felt like it might break my face.

"Yes, it was. Thank you for going with me, Bella." Edward seemed very sincere.

He got the saddles put away, then the horses. While he was giving them some grain he asked me about lunch.

"Would you like to go up to the house for some lunch? I'll have to come up with something, or if you prefer, we could go into town?" He asked nervously.

"I think between the two of us, we can get lunch together. Will anyone else be joining us?"

"Probably not. Mom and dad are gone until later this afternoon. Jasper and Alice usually spend Sundays off somewhere together, and I don't think that Rose and Emmett are back yet. So, just us. Is that okay?" Edward questioned rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, hands in his front pockets.

"Of course it's okay." Edward looked relieved. Then he smiled. I don't think I've seen anything more beautiful. There's that word again. I just decided, right at this moment, to just go with this. Whatever 'this' was. I stopped our walk across the driveway, turned to Edward and kissed his cheek. He looked a little surprised.

"Thank you for showing me around and for the ride. I had a lot of fun, Edward."

"You are more than welcome, Isabella," he said, looking a little dazzled.

I turned to go to the house and I swear I heard him mumble something about 'taking a ride anytime'. I decided to let it go.

EPOV

_I'll let you take a ride anytime you want_. I'll blame that last thought on being momentarily brainless. She kissed me. Now, I realize that it was only on the cheek, but, wow. Her lips were partly open and so soft. I can still feel where her lips touched my skin. I would love to feel those lips pressed against my own. Or anywhere else. Okay, shake it off. Shit, how long have I been standing here?

"Wait up, Bella." I caught up to her at the front door. "You can use this bathroom to get cleaned up, if you like." I showed her the door to the downstairs bath. "I'm just going to run upstairs, I'll be right back." I grazed her arm with my fingers quickly as I said this. Totally by accident.

I ran up the stairs to my room. I wanted to change my shirt and wash up. Stopping in front of the mirror, I just looked at myself. What am I doing? How is it possible to feel like this about someone I hardly know? I thought back to what Jasper said to me this morning. Just go with it, let her lead. I can do that.

I cleaned up and put a new shirt on. I tried to do something with my hair. Hopeless. Well, it was as good as it was going to get. I practically ran back down the stairs.

"Bella?" She must be in the kitchen I thought, walking that way. "Bella?"

"In here," she called out.

Her voice came from behind me, I turned and went into the living room. I found Bella looking at the group of pictures that my mom had on the fireplace mantle. I stood next to her, looking at the photo in her hand. When I looked at Bella, she had a tear on her face.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I had no idea what could have upset her.

"Sorry. Your family is great. Wonderful. I just miss that." She took a deep breath and seemed to steel herself.

"I'm fine, just having a girl moment. Let's go make lunch, I'm starving."

We rooted around the kitchen finding the makings for some pretty great sandwiches. Bella and I worked well together, anticipating each other's movements. It felt…nice. We sat at the kitchen table eating our lunch in a comfortable silence. Which was broken by the sound of Emmett's voice.

"Have you guys had lunch?" Bella asked Rose and Emmett as they entered the kitchen.

"Yes, we have, thank you," replied Rose happily. She grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge and said 'See you later.'

The next thing I heard was foot steps on the stairs. Bella got up and started cleaning our mess.

"Let me help with that," I said, picking up a few items to put away. When we finished, Bella and I were just standing, looking at each other.

"Thank you again for a wonderful day, Edward. I really enjoyed myself. I'm going to go back to the cabin and rest for a while."

This time, when she leaned in to kiss my cheek, I put my arms around her shoulders. With my lips at her ear, I whispered "Thank you. I had a great time, too." I then kissed her cheek . "Mom will have dinner ready around six-thirty. See you then?"

"Sure, Edward. See you later."

I walked her to the front door and then watched her through the window. Damn, that girl has a fine ass. I know. I was looking at it. Again. And I had my hands on it earlier when I helped her up onto Annie. Damn, I was screwed. These were the thoughts that plagued me as I went out to check on mama kitty and her babies.

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**A/N: Leave me your thoughts... and thank you for reading!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here is your next installment of the Ranch. I really appreciate all the reviews and alerts for this and ATH. Hope you all are safe and warm after the big snowstorm!**

**Kari-love ya woman! Everyone go check out her new one (that is almost finished!) With Or Without You. It is a great story and that is not just my biased opinion!**

**SM owns Twilight and is currently watching Bella transform into a vampire down in Baton Rouge! **

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 9-Talking

BPOV

Oh my God. He kissed me. Well, it was only on the cheek. I can still feel it tingling on my skin. I wouldn't mind that tingle somewhere else, anywhere else, on my body.

I practically skipped to the cabin. I decided that I was too excited to lie down. I turned the kitchen radio on and danced to my room. I stripped out of my jeans and tee, went into the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. Brushed my hair and braided it. As I danced back into the bedroom, I heard the front door close.

Not wanting a repeat of this morning, I yelled out.

"Emmett? Is that you?" I waited for a response.

"No, Bella. It's me, Alice."

Alice? What is she doing here? I didn't have long to wait to find out. She was now knocking at my bedroom door.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Sure, just let me get dressed." I realized she was already in. Ookay.

"Oh, sorry Bella. Don't mind me. I just wanted to talk to you." She had her back to me trying to give me some privacy. I figured it was no big deal. It wasn't like I was naked.

"It's fine Alice. What did you want to talk about?" I asked her as I pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a tank.

"I just wanted to see how today went with you and Edward." She had a mischievous grin on her perky little face.

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"Well, because when I got home fifteen minutes ago, Edward was walking through the house singing. I figured something had to have happened for that kind of behavior."

I just looked at her. It would be nice to get another girl's perspective on this. If I were at home, I would be talking to a girlfriend about this.

"Well? Bella!" Alice barked, breaking me out of my stupor.

"Okay, Alice. Let's talk." I closed my door in case Emmett came back before joining Alice on the bed. I crawled up to the top and leaned against the headboard.

Alice was practically jumping on the bed.

"As you know, Edward took me on a tour of your facility. Very nice, by the way. After that, we saddled up the horses and went for a ride. We went all the way to the back of the property and sat in a meadow by the stream."

"And.." she waited. "Come on, something else had to have happened."

"We talked."

"About what? Bella don't make me torture you," she threatened.

"We talked about college and he asked about my life back in New York. Then we asked each other questions. Well, one of us asked a question, then we both answered. After we came back, we went to the house made some lunch and talked a bit more. I gotta tell you, Alice, your brother is pretty great."

"Okay, that sounds nice. Did anything else happen?" She asked like she already knew there was more. "Come on, you can tell me," she said sweetly.

"Well…there was some unnecessary touching. And I kissed him. On the cheek! Twice. And he kissed me on the cheek, once." I said giddily.

"You're kidding me?" Alice asked dumbfounded. Uh-oh.

"No, I'm not. Why? What's wrong?" I thought she was upset with me.

Alice laughed, "Nothing is wrong. I'm just surprised. Edward doesn't usually warm up to people so quickly. I knew there was something special about you. Oh Bella! I'm so happy."

"Yeah, but…" I stammered.

"But what, Bella?"

"Alice, we're going to be leaving, this can't possibly turn into anything. What am I going to do?"

"Well, I think you should just have fun. Go with it and see what happens. You never know. Does it feel right?"

"Yes, that is what's so confusing. It feels really right. I feel so comfortable with him. All of you, really. I have never felt like this before."

"Bella, I stand by my 'go with it' advice. Edward is happy, you're happy. You both know what the circumstances are. Just talk to him. And if you need someone else to talk to, come to me! I've got to get back to the house. Dinner will be an a couple of hours so come on up, okay?"

"Yep, I'll be there. Thanks for coming by Alice. I missed talking to a girlfriend," I admitted.

"No problem, Bell." she said as she hugged me. "Oh, do you mind if I call you Bell?"

"Not at all. You should hear some of the nick names Em comes up with."

"Okay, see you later."

"Bye, Alice."

Shortly after Alice left, Emmett came waltzing through the door. Well, not exactly waltzing, but close.

"What's up Em?" I asked as I took the bag of items he bought for me and put them away.

"Bella, Rosie is awesome! We had a lot of fun today. How about you? Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, I did. Emmett, what are we going to do? You and I both seem to be liking people we have no business getting involved with." This sobered him up.

"I bought a cheap cell phone today. I'm going to call Tyler and Mrs. Cope. Maybe we can find out if anyone is looking for us."

"Do you think if I set up one of those free e-mail accounts, you know, so it doesn't trace back to me, I could contact Angela? She has got to be worried sick about us."

"I guess. Just delete the account after you e-mail her. I'm going in my room to make the calls."

I got my laptop from my room and sat in the kitchen. I easily set up a free account and e-mailed Angela.

**Hey Angela,**

**I just wanted to let you know that Em and I are safe. I can't really tell you what is going on or where we are. I don't know when we'll be home, but when everything is safe, I will tell you everything. I hope you and Ben are well. I will contact you again when I can.**

**Love, Bella**

I went into my regular e-mail account to see what was there. I had five e-mails from Charlotte all asking me what was going on. I felt bad, but she would understand when she found out what was going on. I just didn't want to risk telling any more people than necessary. I closed my laptop and pushed it away from me.

I'm not sure how long I sat there, but Emmett came out of his room cursing.

"Fuck, fuck, shit!"

"Em, what? Did you get a hold of Tyler?"

"Tyler said he saw the same two guys Thursday and yesterday. They were walking around talking to people. Mrs. Cope said she saw that blond fucker around the mail boxes on Friday. He must have snuck in behind someone when they were coming into the building. She said she heard someone was knocking on our door yesterday afternoon. She looked out her peephole and, by the way she described him, it was the black haired asshole."

"Emmett, they know who we are. Do you think they'll find us out here?" I was scared now.

"We didn't leave any kind of paper trail, so I don't know how they would find us. I'll call again in a couple of days. I gave Tyler the number on this other phone and told him to call me if he felt it was necessary. I think we need to let it go for now and calm down. When are we supposed to eat?"

"About forty-five minutes from now. I'm going to go on up to see if I can help. I can't just sit here. Are you coming?"

"No, not yet. I've got one more call to make. I'll be up a little later. Love you, Belly."

"Love you to."

I was nervous and scared and really wished my parents were around. Our dad was a captain with the New York state police. He would've been able to help. My mom would've just been able to make me feel better.

I made my way up to the house and knocked on the door. Jasper answered.

"Well, hello Bella. Come on in. How are you today?" He was smiling and had a sparkle in his eyes.

"Hi Jasper. I am fine. I was wondering if Esme needed any help."

"Follow me, little lady."

We walked into the kitchen to find Esme and Rosalie getting dinner ready.

"I brought reinforcements!" Jasper shouted.

"Bella, hello dear." Esme came and hugged me.

"Hi Bella, how are you?" asked Rosalie.

"I'm fine, thank you. I was just wondering if I could help?"

"That would be great! The potatoes need mashing and the gravy needs to be made.

All the utensils are in this drawer," she pointed " and all the ingredients are on the counter."

We all got to work talking about mundane things. It felt really good, being in the kitchen with them. We whisked and chopped and stirred. Handing things to each other, working around one another. I realized that this felt right, too. Being around these other women, laughing and cooking. The longing I felt in my heart was strong. This family was filling a void that I had made myself forget about over the past two years.

EPOV

"Edward, did you need something?"

I was waiting in my dad's study when he got home. I needed to talk to someone. I had to get another perspective on the situation I found myself in.

"Yeah, Dad. I need to talk to you." I was pacing in front of his desk.

"Go ahead, son," he said as he sat behind the desk. "Is this about Bella?"

"Um, yes. How did you know?"

"Well, when you watch from the sidelines, it is easier to see what is going on." He smirked.

"I have these feelings for her. I don't know if it is just lust or what. She's leaving, eventually and I know that I shouldn't get too involved, but..."

"Edward, is what you're feeling just in your pants, or do you feel it anywhere else?" My father usually got right to the point.

"Well, I am definitely feeling it in my pants," I chuckled. "Why do I feel like I'm seventeen? My feelings are all over the place!"

"Okay Edward, sit down. Tell me about Bella."

"Where do I start? When she smiles, it's like the sun coming from behind the clouds. I feel warm all over. When she touches me, I feel this electricity flow between us. I can still feel it on my skin long after the touch. When she laughs, her eyes light up. God she is just beautiful. We have a lot in common, too. There is this comfortableness I feel with her that I have never experienced before. Am I crazy? I've only known her for, hell…, not even a whole twenty-four hours!"

"Well, all I can tell you is that I felt the same way about your mother. You know we had a short engagement, but did you know that we only knew each other for 3 months before I asked for her hand? I know that Bella and her brother are just passing through, but, maybe you should just see how this plays out? From what they've said they'll be here for a couple of weeks. Give it a little time. Things like this _do_ happen. Not often, to be sure. But, they do happen. And if you are lucky enough for it to happen to you, then you don't want to throw it away just because it doesn't fit into what conventional society deems right. Go with your gut. Does it feel right?"

"Yeah, Dad, it feels really right." I sighed. I was crazy about this girl I just met yesterday!

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thanks Rosalie," my dad said. "Let's get cleaned up, son."

"Dad, thank you," I said giving him a one armed man hug.

"Anytime."

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**A/N: thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: I was threatened and forced to sign a waiver that I would not change any of the lemons in this story. (Actually, my new laptop was threatened with destruction.) I find them a bit cringe worthy as they were the first ones I had written, but they are here-unaltered. You all have xXKiwiCullenXx to thank for that. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and/or alerted.**

**SM owns Twilight**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 10-Getting Closer

EPOV

With my new found insight, I washed up and got myself into the dining room.

I asked Alice if she would mind sitting across from Jasper so Bella and I could sit together. _How high school did that sound?_ I then went into the kitchen to see what I could help with.

I was surprised to see Bella standing there with my mom and Rose. I quietly watched as they finished up. She fit there. It was like she was supposed to be there. I made my way over to them before I got caught gawking. I walked up to Bella and nudged her shoulder with my own.

"Hey," It was all my college educated mind would allow me to come up with.

"Hey yourself," she replied. "You are just in time to help get all this to the table," she said waving her arm over the island.

"Yes ma'am." I picked up as much as I could and went to the dining room. Emmett and Rose were sitting in the same place as this morning, and Alice was sitting in the chair Bella had. She must have said something to Jazz, because he was seated across from her. That left two seats open next to each other. When Bella came in behind me, I held out my arm for her to choose which chair she wanted. She opted on the corner so she was between my mother and myself.

"Wow, another amazing spread, Mrs. C." Emmett exclaimed as the food was being passed.

Everyone was talking about their day. Mom and dad went to 'Strawberryfest' one town over. Alice and Jasper spent the day at his uncle's place which is about five miles further up the road from us, and Emmett and Rose were in Billings. I told everyone what Bella and I had done and we all just talked about each other's day.

When there was a lull in the conversations, I spoke up.

"Mom, did you know that Bella handles a lot of the adoptions back at the shelter where she works?" Bella looked at me and blushed.

"Really? I would love to talk to you about that. It is one area where we need some more expertise. Would you mind telling us more about what you do?" my mom asked.

"Sure. Um…well, it all starts with matching up the right people with the right animal. We have a process we go through to ensure that we make a good match." Bella seemed in her element.

"Like what, exactly?" Rose asked.

"We have questionnaires that people wanting to adopt fill out. It tells us their lifestyle and their living arrangements, as well as their financial status. Too many people see a cute dog and don't know anything about the breed. You know, what kind of exercise requirements they have or what kind of space they'll need? We have some that come in wanting a dog that needs regular active exercise, but don't have the time to do it. Then we have the ones that want playful, active dogs and choose a lap dog."

"What does their financial status have to do with anything?" Alice asked.

"Well, most people don't know the expenses that go along with owning and caring for a pet. Big dogs eat a lot and can be quite costly. Some breeds are more prone to certain health issues and diseases, and that can be really expensive." Both my father and I nodded in agreement. "It just helps us to steer our clients in the right direction, or at the very least, make them aware of what they may be getting into," she explained.

"Bella, maybe while you're here you could help me come up with our own questionnaire? I think it would help a lot. We all kind of help to adopt out the animals when they are ready to go, but I confess that most of my time is getting them here and searching out donations." Mom looked a little remorseful. "Sometimes I feel like I am spread too thin. Maybe we should try to find someone to fill that role here."

"I would be happy to help in anyway I can, Esme. I really enjoy what I do and have been missing it since we've been gone." Bella was smiling that smile again. The one that lights up the room.

We were interrupted by the house phone ringing.

"I'll get it," I said jumping up. The closest phone was in the kitchen. "Cullen residence," I answered.

"Dr. Cullen? This is Sue Clearwater. I'm calling to let you know that Seth won't be able to come to the ranch tomorrow. He is in bed with a fever and I am taking him to the doctor tomorrow."

"Okay, not a problem. I hope Seth is feeling better. If I remember correctly, he isn't due back until Wednesday. If he is still sick, just give us a call."

"Of course, Dr. Cullen. I'll talk to you later. Goodbye, now." she said.

I hung up the phone and sat down to finish my dinner.

"Who was that, son?" my dad asked.

"Seth is sick. He was going to cover Mike's shift tomorrow. Mike is taking Jessica to that new water park."

"I can help." I turned to look at Bella. "What?" she asked.

"I wouldn't ask you to do that. You're on vacation." She glanced at Emmett before she spoke again.

"You didn't ask. I offered." The table erupted in snorts and snickering. "What time do you get started in the morning, Dr. Cullen?" she asked a little smartly.

I was thankful I had sat back down. Bella calling me Dr. Cullen in that snarky little attitude made my dick twitch. I leaned into the back of my chair and just looked at her.

"Well, Isabella, I'll be in my office by eight a.m." I said with a smile.

I heard a cough and someone clearing their throat. I must have fallen into another Bella induced trance.

"Great, I'll meet you there at eight," she said.

"If everyone is finished, I suggest we clean this up and have our dessert and coffee by the fire. Boys, why don't you go set it up while we women get the food?" Mom said.

With that, we all scattered to do her bidding.

BPOV

After getting dinner cleaned up, Rosalie, Alice, Esme and I got the dessert things ready. There were a couple of trays we used to help carry it all. Esme had made a cobbler that looked delicious. She had a portable coffee dispenser that I put on a tray with cups, cream and sugar. Alice and Rosalie had the plates and utensils while Esme carried the cobbler.

We went out to the fire pit and found that the boys had set up a table. Everyone gathered around it for dessert. As everyone started to find a seat, I noticed that the grouping was different. The girls were sitting together as were the boys. I sat next to Rosalie.

"Bella, I'm really interested on your opinions on the whole adoption aspect of our operation. You know, some of the animals we get here have been mistreated. Sometimes when we get them through rehab, they still aren't a hundred percent. I think that plays a big role in who adopts them. The questionnaire we come up with could touch on that subject as well. What do you think?" Rosalie asked.

"Definitely, Rosalie. I know that animals that have been mistreated don't always go back to normal. That affects their temperament, and therefore should help determine who should be adopting them. I think if we all put our heads together, we should be able to come up with a decent form that will help you all a lot, as well as the animals." I told her. I shivered a little.

"I'm going to go get a jacket. Even next to the fire I'm a little chilly," I announced to no one in particular. As I got up and made my way around the benches, I felt a hand on my upper arm. I didn't need to look to know who it was. Edward's touch was almost like pure electricity. When he was close, I could feel it pulsing between us.

"Bella, hold up. You don't need to go all the way back to your cabin. Here." He had the hoodie that he had been wearing in his hand. When I hesitated, he held it open for me to put on.

"You don't need to do that. What if you need it?" I asked.

"I won't. Put it on, Bella." He said giving it a little shake.

He held it for me to put my arms through then turned me and zipped it up.

"Thank you Edward," I said shyly, looking up at him from under my eyelashes.

"Not a problem. I'm getting some coffee, want some?"

I went over to the table with him and got our coffee. We turned to sit and found everyone had paired up. We found our way to the only empty bench and started talking.

He asked me about things I disliked. So we sat there for the better part of an hour telling each other things like he hated peas, and I hated green peppers. I found out that he didn't like the color red and really disliked spiders.

It was a comfortable, easy conversation and didn't realize how late it had gotten until I yawned. I looked around and saw that the only ones left besides us were Jasper and Alice. Someone had even taken in the dishes.

"I guess I should call it a night, I've got to get up for work in the morning," I laughed.

"Yeah, I should, too. Come on, I'll walk you back to your cabin." He said standing up.

We talked a little about what needed to be done tomorrow as we made our way to the cabin. Edward had his arm lightly across my shoulders the entire way. We stopped at the door and I started to remove his jacket.

"No, keep it. You may need it again." He said softly. "I really enjoyed talking to you this evening, Bella."

"I did, too. I mean…I enjoyed talking to you, as well. Goodnight, Edward. See you in the morning." I hesitated a bit as I turned to open the door. He stopped me and gave me a soft, tender kiss on my forehead.

"Goodnight, Bella. Sweet dreams." he said as he walked away.

I went inside thinking that I would most definitely be having sweet dreams. All about him. I noticed that Emmett wasn't back yet and saw my laptop on the counter. Seeing it brought back to mind the trouble we were in.

I tried to shake it off and went to the bedroom. I pulled out some boy shorts and a camisole, which is usually what I wore to bed during the warmer months, and started to undress. I held Edwards hoodie up to my nose. It smelled just like him. I couldn't place exactly what it was. A little sweet, a little musk, and all Edward. I loved it. I laid it on the chair in the corner of the room before heading to the bathroom for my nightly routine. I almost felt like I was walking on air as I got into bed. Again, all I saw when I closed my eyes was coppery hair, bright green eyes and Edward's smile.

_We were walking along the trail towards the creek. Hand in hand, laughing. I looked to my left and saw the rest of the family walking in the same direction. All of a sudden, there were picnic tables and everyone was sitting. They all looked happy. Then they started disappearing, one by one._

_I turned to Edward. "Where is everyone?"_

_"They're gone, Isabella. Those mobsters took them. Why did you come here? Why didn't you warn us?" He asked with tears in his eyes._

_"Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen. They weren't supposed to find us!" I cried._

_Then he walked away. I chased after him, calling his name. He wouldn't stop and I couldn't catch up to him._

_"Edward! Wait! Don't leave me. Don't you leave me, too!" I fell to the ground sobbing._

I woke with a start, sitting straight up. I was crying and breathing heavily. I got up to get a drink of water from the bathroom. On my way back to bed, I saw Edward's jacket on the chair. The moonlight was shining on it through the window. I grabbed it up and put in on, holding it to my face. I laid back in bed with Edward's smell surrounding me, calming me and was able to go back to sleep.

EPOV

Talking to Bella tonight was bliss. We talk like we've known each other forever. I feel at peace when I'm with her. I've decide to stop questioning it. I like her. I like being around her. I like talking to her. I like touching her.

When I walked her back to her cabin tonight, I didn't want to let her go. I kept my arm around her for the entire walk. I just needed to touch her. When we stopped at her door, I couldn't help but kiss her and breathe in her intoxicating scent. She smells fresh and clean and a little sweet. I'm hoping that when I get my jacket back, it will smell like her. If I take it back. I really liked seeing her wear it.

I slid into bed just thinking about her. She has invaded my mind and body. I have never felt so completely enraptured by anyone or anything. As I close my eyes, all I see is Bella. Laughing, smiling, her hair gently framing her face. Those lips, I can't wait to kiss those lips. My hand made it's way to my cock which was now hard as a rock. I couldn't help myself. Well, actually, I could. And I was going to.

I thought back to Bella answering the door in a towel. I imagined taking the towel off. Kissing her, running my hands across her body. Laying her down, touching her, licking her. The image changed to her kissing my chest, moving down my body. Licking her way towards my dick. She puts her hand on it and licked from the base to the tip. The next thing I know, she's swallowing my cock. The image I conjured up of Bella's mouth on my cock had me wound up so tight, it only took a few strokes before I blew my load.

"Bella…yes..oh..suck my cock, baby," I whispered. That was it. That was all it took for me to cum all over myself. As good as that was, I couldn't help but wonder what the real thing would feel like. I cleaned up and changed my boxers. When I fell asleep, I dreamed of her.

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**A/N: Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading.**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for the love you are showing the Ranch. Who's ready for things to move along between Edward and Bella? Silly question, right? LOL**

**Go show some love to With Or Without You. My girl xXKiwiCullenXx is currently buried under a massive amount of snow and could use a little extra warmth!**

**SM owns Twilight**

**Rated M for language and lemons**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 11-Confessions

BPOV

I woke up early Monday morning. I slept well after my nightmare, but it was all I could think about. _Were we putting the Cullens in danger?_ I decided that there wasn't anything I could do about it right now, and resolved to talk to Emmett about it. I got out of bed and decided to try out the shower.

As the hot water rained over my body, I started thinking of Edward. I poured some body wash into my hand and wished that he was the one washing my body. Edward's big, strong hands slick with lather, kneading my tits. Pulling and pinching my nipples. He would soap up my ass, squeezing and fondling it. Running his hands across my stomach, sucking my nipples into his mouth. I started rubbing my clit, wishing it was his fingers on me instead of my own. I pushed a finger into my aching core, pinching a nipple with my other hand. It wasn't enough. I added another, plunging them in and out as I leaned against the wall of the shower. I could feel the tension building in my belly. I moved my other hand to my clit, pinching it and rubbing furiously. _Edward…yes, oh…yess._

When I gained some coherency, I washed my hair and finished showering. I felt a little embarrassed. I wasn't sure what that was all about. I have never been so affected by someone before. It had been so long since I had been attracted to someone, it was overwhelming me.

Dressing in jeans and a tee, I dried my hair and walked towards the kitchen. I decided that I would make muffins for the Cullens.

"Well, Em made it home last night," I said to myself as I passed his room. Emmett snores like a grizzly bear.

I made coffee and rounded up the ingredients to make banana nut muffins. I didn't think about muffins tins, so started looking around, luckily finding some. After they were in the oven, I found a basket to carry them up to the house. An hour later, the muffins were cooling and Emmett made his way to the coffee.

"Hey Em, rough night?" I smirked.

"No, Jasper and I got to talking about a project he is starting today. He wants to build a supply shed. He and I were drawing up plans for it. I'm going to help him build it. We're going to a lumber yard after breakfast."

"That's what kept you out so late? Or did Rosalie have something to do with it?"

"Bella, I know what you're going to say. I can't help it though. Rosie is great. She gets me like no one else has, well, besides you. You know what I mean. I want to be around her all the time. I can't explain it, Bells. She just fits me, ya know?"

"Yes, Em," I sighed "I know. I think the Cullens have dazzled us both. I'm gonna go on up to the house. I'm sure that someone is up by now."

"Okay Belly, see you in a bit." Emmett said as he disappeared into his room.

The morning was still cool, so I put on Edward's hoodie and went to the house.

I quietly knocked on the door, suddenly thinking that maybe I was too early.

"Bella, good morning. Come in." Carlisle must be a morning person. He looked like he had been up for hours. "What do you have there?" He asked seeing the basket full of muffins. I think he recognized Edward's jacket, too.

"I wanted to make something for everyone, so I baked muffins."

"They smell wonderful. What kind are they?"

"Banana Nut. I hope everyone likes them."

"I'm sure that there won't be any left after breakfast!" He laughed.

"Would you like some coffee? It will be a little while before everyone is down. Grab a cup and come sit with me." He said as he sat at the kitchen table.

"Edward told me about your parent's accident. I'm very sorry. If you don't mind, would you tell me about them?" He asked as I sat across from him. I could see the look of concern and sincerity on his face.

"No, I don't mind. I still miss them a lot, but it doesn't hurt so much anymore to talk about them. It kind of helps keep them alive." Carlisle nodded in understanding. "My dad was a New York State police officer and my mom was a librarian.

They were both very involved parents, always making time to do things with us. Dad even coached Em's little league baseball team. My mom fostered my love of books. She always used to say that instead of traveling around the world, she did it through books.

We had family vacations and Em and I both had one on one time with each of them. We had a really nice life, they were good to us and I am just thankful for the time we had with them."

"They sound like great people. I'm sorry I'll never get the chance to know them. I am happy, however, that you have such fond memories of them." Carlisle stood up.

"Would you like to help me get a few things ready for breakfast? During the week, Esme usually only cooks dinner," he explained. "The rest of the meals are someone else's responsibility. My wife would be happy to do it all, but I insisted. This house is full of adults perfectly capable of doing any and all household duties," He said smirking.

"What are we making?" I asked as I hung Edward's jacket on the back of my chair.

"I'm not really sure. I thought I would just look around and see what I could find," he laughed.

I peeked over Carlisle's shoulder as he bent down looking into the fridge.

"Carlisle, are there potatoes?" I asked.

"Yes, I believe they are in the pantry."

"Get those for me and I'll handle breakfast this morning, okay?" I asked with a smile.

"Are you sure? You don't have to cook for us."

"Absolutely, I would love to."

Jasper came in and I set him up to chop vegetables.

I felt someone watching me and turned to find Edward leaning against the entryway, ankles and arms crossed, smiling at me. I was feeling playful.

"It's about time sleepy head. Why don't you come in here and join us? You can peel potatoes or chop something."

"Yes, ma'am." He sauntered over to me. "Good morning, Bella. Sleep okay?"

"Um, well, I did have a nightmare, but after I got over that, yes. I got some sleep." I said looking everywhere but him.

"Found the potatoes!" Carlisle called out.

"Okay, we are making a frittata, boys. I need six potatoes peeled and chopped as well as an onion. I saw some leftover ham that can also be cut up. I'll get started on grating the cheese."

We all got busy and in no time I had the frittata put together and in the oven. Jasper put out the dishes and Carlisle made more coffee.

"Mmm…Bella…did you make these?" Edward asked around a mouthful of muffin.

Laughing I said, "Yes I did, you like them?"

"Like is not a strong enough word. These are great. You could sell these they're so good. Or you could just keep me in good supply. You guys have got to try these." He said carrying the muffins to the table.

I don't think he realized what he just said. _He wants me to make them for him._

I am pretty sure that Carlisle heard him, though. He just stood there looking back and forth between Edward and myself smiling.

Soon everyone joined us and we all sat down to eat. Everyone was complimenting both the muffins and the frittata.

"Thanks, it was really nothing. Besides, the guys helped, too." I told everyone.

I was happy. I felt kind of…complete. All these smiling faces, warm, friendly, enjoying the food I made. Very family like.

EPOV

I walked in on quite a scene this morning. Bella had Jasper and my dad slaving away in the kitchen. I just stood there taking it all in. Bella had complete command over everything. She was organized and efficient and had it all running like clockwork. I know it was just breakfast, but she was mesmerizing to watch.

When she realized that I was watching her, she got the biggest smile on her face. When she asked me to help, all I could say was 'yes ma'am'. At that point she could have asked me anything and I would have agreed.

After we got everything ready, I saw the muffins on the kitchen table. They smelled so good, I had to have one. They were really good. I basically told her that she could make them for me daily.

I brought them into the dining room singing their praises. We all ate and complimented Bella on her cooking. Everything she made was wonderful. I would love it if she cooked for me all the time.

On our way out the back door to the barn, I grabbed my hoodie that Bella must have left there. I just didn't want her to get cold. It had nothing to do with seeing it on her again. Really. When I got to the barn, I went into the office. Bella wasn't there.

"Bella?" I called out.

"Over here."

I followed her voice to the hall and saw she was at mama kitty's cage.

"How is she?" I asked, bending down next to Bella.

"She looks better than yesterday. She's been moving around a lot and is paying more attention to her babies."

"Great. I knew she'd come around. Amazing what a little food can do, huh?" I said sarcastically as we stood up. "Speaking of food, I just wanted to thank you again for the muffins. They really were fabulous." I gave her a quick kiss on the temple.

"You are more than welcome, Dr. Cullen." she blushed, touching her hand to my chest.

Damn, not the Dr. Cullen shit again. I couldn't help the dick twitch. Again. Especially with the thoughts I had of her from last night's jack off session.

"Bella, this may sound strange, but would you please not call me that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was only playing around. I didn't mean to offend you." she walked away quickly with her eyes on the ground. I could see her blushing when she passed me. Well damn. She thinks I'm mad at her. I've got to fix this.

"Bella, wait. You didn't offend me. It's just…well…" _Bite the bullet, Cullen. "_When you call me Dr. Cullen, it…_affects_ me. In an inappropriate way."

"What do you mean? Don't a lot of people call you that? You are a doctor, right? How is that inappropriate?" She stood with her arms crossed under her tits so they pushed up a little. _Glorious_. Her eyes were blazing. _Even more glorious_. Shit, now she's pissed.

"Okay, Bella. I'm going to lay it all out for you." I put my hands on her shoulders and bent my head down some to meet her eyes. "Yes, a lot of people call me that, but a lot of people aren't you. I…look, I know this is really fast, call me crazy, but I like you. I mean, I really like you."

Bella was blushing, but she was also smiling. "I really like you, too, Edward. I've been thinking that I was crazy. I mean we've only known each other for two days. Well, we have spent a lot of the past two days together, and we've been talking a lot. I feel like I know you really well already. I feel like I've known you forever. Oh, sorry. I was rambling. I tend to do that sometimes. Sorry." If I thought she was blushing before, she was positively red now. "Wait. What does any of that have to do with calling you Dr. Cullen?"

Cue the dick twitch. "Bella, when you call me that…how do I say this without sounding like more of a loser than I already am? I don't know if it is the tone you use or if it is just your voice, but it kind of…um…turns me on." I said apprehensively. I was waiting for her hand to come flying across my face.

"Really?" She asked as if she found the notion ludicrous.

"Yeah, really. You're not mad?" I asked.

"Mad? Of course not. I think it's kind of hot that I can _affect_ you like that." She seemed proud of herself.

Well, okay then. Might as well go for it. "I want to try something. Hold still." I put my hands on either side of her face and leaned in. I looked into her eyes to see if there was any sign of her not wanting this. I didn't see stop. I saw go. So I did.

I leaned in the rest of the way and gently kissed her lips. They were so soft, yet firm. She started to kiss me back. I turned her head that was still in my hands. My tongue snuck out to taste her lips and she opened them for me. Her hands went to my neck and mine wrapped around her back, pulling her close to me. Our tongues met and gently teased each other. I had to break away to breathe.

"Bella," I whispered against her neck. "I have wanted to do this since Saturday night." She whimpered. I took that as a good sign.

I kissed and nipped my way back up her neck to her jaw and made my way back to her lips. I looked into her eyes for a moment before she pulled me back in. I sucked on her bottom lip before reaching out for her tongue with my own. Bella moaned and kissed me harder. That made me moan. We kissed like that for a few minutes until I realized that we should stop, so I eased back some.

"Bella, babe, we need to stop. I love kissing you, but anyone could walk in. And, we have hungry animals to feed." I gave her a couple quick kisses and looked into her shining eyes.

"Okay. I know you're right. But, _Dr. Cullen_, this," she pointed to herself, "hungry animal needs to be fed, too." She said that and just walked away.

Oh my fucking god, she did not just say that. Holy shit. I tried to steady myself with a few deep breaths before I went after her. It worked. A little.

When I got into the office, Bella was looking at some charts that were hanging on the wall. I moved up behind her and wrapped my arms around her stomach. Kissing her neck, I whispered "I will definitely feed your hunger later, Bella."

She turned to me and put her hands on my waist, just above my hips. Raised up on her tip toes, she kissed me twice and said, "I will hold you to that, Edward. Now show me what I need to do today."

"Yes, ma'am," I said with a quick kiss to her lips.

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**A/N: What do you think? Let me know...**


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: I re-read over the chapters that I am posting today. Gah! So many mistakes-Anyway, let's get to work.**

**SM owns Twilight**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 12-More Confessions

EPOV

"This is the supply closet," I opened the door. "You'll see that there are baskets on the shelves. Each basket has a number that corresponds with a cage. In the baskets you'll find supplements and other items that need to be given or applied to the animal. Now," I extended my arm towards the door, "Out here on the cages, you'll find a tag. The numbers on the baskets are here," I pointed, "and each tag will have the animals description, what kind of food and the amount, whatever they might need from the baskets and any other special instructions.

There is also temperament warnings on the tags. Most of the animals we currently have are fine, but there is a dog you have to watch out for and a horse down at the other end. Jasper will take care of watering the animals and change whatever kind of bedding they have. If you do need water, there is a spigot down at the other end of the barn. So, that's it. If you have any questions, just yell. I'm going to start my rounds at the other end so we aren't tripping over each other."

"Sounds good Dr…uh, Edward." Bella snickered, "sorry."

"Yeah, okay," I smirked. "Do you have any questions, babe?" I said looking at the chart in my hand. "Shit, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you that. I just…"

Bella interrupted me, "Edward, don't apologize. It's fine. Actually, I kind of like it. Now," she paused to kiss me, "I'm going to get started."

"Hey Bella," I yelled after her, "When you get to Zeke, that's the dog you've got to watch, let me know. I don't want you going in there on your own."

"Okay, Doc," She said before turning to go to the supply closet.

_Damn, still looking fine in those jeans_

I made my way down to the other end of the barn to start my rounds. I had to force my self to focus. My mind kept wandering back to our declarations and mini make-out session. My head was spinning. She feels the same way as I do! I still think this is crazy.

Four days ago, I didn't even know she existed. It just feels so right, though. It's almost like a piece of me has been missing, though I didn't know it until Bella came into my life. I feel complete, whole, content. Kissing her was like heaven. Her lips were soft and plump, and she tasted so sweet. Her body was warm and my fingertips were still tingling after I touched her. Ugh..touching her. I can't be close to her without wanting to touch her.

"Ed! Edward!" Hearing my name snapped me out of my Bella-trance. I looked over my shoulder.

"What, Jazz?"

"Where the hell were you? I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes!"

"Sorry, man. My head isn't currently attached to my body. What's up?"

"Emmett and I just got back with the lumber. I can do the watering and bedding now, while Emmett gets started outside."

"Sure. Let me see how far Bella has gotten." I walked down the hall to where Bella was working. I leaned in close to her with my hand on her arm. "Babe, Jasper is ready to start watering, are you done with these first few cages?"

"Yes I am and Zeke is next."

"Can you go get the muzzle that should be in his basket?" I asked her.

"Sure. Be right back."

"Babe?" Jasper arched an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, things have…progressed. Positively." I said staring in the direction that Bella went. Turning back to Jasper, I asked him, "Is this crazy?" I keep looking for validation that this is okay.

"No, Ed, it isn't. I mean, yeah, it kind of is, but all that matters is what you and Bella feel. Look at me and Alice. We moved just as fast, if not faster. It was instantaneous for us. All I knew was, she was the best thing that ever happened to me. My advice is to talk to Bella about all this. Then, just hold on tight. It's a great ride, bro."

"What's a great ride? Are you guys talking about that water park?" Bella walked up at the tail end of our conversation.

"Uh, no." Jasper stifled a laugh. "I'll tell you later. We need to get finished so Rose and Alice can get started." I told her hoping she would let it go for now.

"Sure. Here's the muzzle." Bella said handing it to me.

"See you two later." Said Jasper as he walked away.

I opened Zeke's cage to muzzle him. He had been abused by his previous owner and sometimes acted out aggressively. "I'm going to take him out to the exercise area so he isn't in anyone's way." I glanced quickly to see if Jasper was out of sight.

"Come here," I said to Bella. I grabbed her hips and kissed her. It was quick, but not entirely chaste. Shit, I was acting like a horny teenager!

I took Zeke out to the fenced exercise area behind the barn. I threw a ball for him a few times to get him relaxed. He was a good dog. He just had bad owners. I really hoped we could find him a good home.

I went back into the barn and immediately heard a voice that didn't normally belong here. I looked down the hall and saw Jacob Black leaning into my girl.

She was standing against Zeke's cage with his basket held tightly in front of her. Jacob had one arm resting on the beam above the cage leaning over her, his other hand held his Stetson against his chest.

_What the fuck?_

Hell no. I quickly made my way over to them. Jacob heard me coming and stood up straight. Bella looked nervous. I moved in right beside her, putting my arm around her lower back.

Quietly, but loud enough for him to hear me I said to her, "Babe, can you go get me a bottle of water from the fridge in the office?"

"Sure." She smiled at me in thanks. I could tell she wanted to get away from him.

"What can I do for you, Jacob?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You can tell me about that sweet little girl," his eyes following Bella.

I cleared my throat to get his eyes back on me. "That 'sweet little girl' is my girlfriend." I smugly told him. I knew I was taking liberties calling her my girlfriend, but he didn't need to know that. "She's helping me out around here today."

"Oh." He was disappointed. I was not. Jacob was a good enough guy, he just needed to be put in his place when he stepped out of line.

"So I'm sure you have a reason for being here," I asked him.

"Yes, my dad asked me to stop by and have you order more of the antibiotic we've been giving to the newborns."

"I already did. It should be delivered in the morning before I head out, so I'll bring it by." Tuesdays are the days I make my way around to my paying clients.

"Thanks, Cullen. See you tomorrow, then."

Bella came back to me handing me the bottle of water. She still looked really nervous.

"It was nice to meet you, Bella." Jacob said tipping his hat, then leaving.

"Bella, are you alright? What did that jackass say to you?"

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around me.

BPOV

Edward put his arms around me and held me close. I was going to have to tell him what was going on.

When Jacob approached me, all I could think was 'shit, they found us.' He walked up to me like he knew me and looked similar to the mobsters Emmett and I were running from. Jacob was a big guy with long dark hair pulled into a pony tail. He didn't have time to say much, only asking my name before Edward rescued me.

When he asked me to get him a bottle of water, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I heard them start talking as Jasper came up beside me.

"That is Jacob Black. He and his father own a cattle ranch a few miles from here. He's harmless enough, but thinks pretty highly of himself," Jasper said, leaving as quickly as he came.

Not a mobster. Not a mobster. I repeated this to calm myself. My head snapped up in 'not a mobster's' direction. Girlfriend? Did I just hear Edward call me his girlfriend? I thought about that for a minute. That made me really happy. _What the hell? _I feel like a hormonal teenager. I know it's been a while since I've had a boyfriend, but come on! Then, again, I remembered why I was here. My happiness went away with last night's nightmare in the forefront of my mind.

"Bella, what is wrong?' Edward asked anxiously.

"Is there anything you need to do when we're done here?" I asked, fighting the tears that threatened me.

"Nothing that can't wait. I can get dad to cover me when he gets back. I believe he's due back around two," He said with questions in his eyes.

"Jacob didn't do anything but startle me. I do need to talk to you, though. Somewhere quiet, where we can be alone. Is that okay?"

"Tell you what, let's finish this up and I'll meet you at your cabin. I'll bring lunch, how does that sound?"

"That sounds good. Thank you." I gave him a tight hug and left to finish feeding the animals.

I was worried. Was Edward going to be mad? Yes. He should be, anyway. We've put his family at risk. Ugh, he was going to hate me. Well, at least this will end before I'm in too deep.

_Yeah, right._

I'm already in too deep. I tried to push those thoughts away and concentrate on the animals. It took another hour to finish up, with Jasper helping.

I didn't speak to Edward before I left for the cabin. I figured that if I started putting some distance between us now, it may help. I went straight in to take a bath. It was one o'clock, so I figured that I had at least an hour before Edward showed up. Fifteen minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. Shit.

"Bella? Are you in here?"

Edward was early.

"I'll be right out!" I hope he heard me, I think I left the bedroom door open.

"Bella?" His voice was closer. A lot closer. He hadn't heard me. By the sound of his voice, he was right outside the bathroom door.

"I'm here. I'll be right out."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just taking a bath. I'll be out in a minute."

"Oh…sorry. Uh…take your time. I'll wait out in the living room."

I got out of the tub and dried off. I opened the door just enough to make sure the bedroom door was closed. It was. Thank you, Edward!

I got dressed and brushed my hair. Looking at myself in the mirror, I took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. I didn't think what I was about to do would be pleasant.

"Fuck!" I hissed quietly at the room. We may be packing up and leaving tonight. "Well, here goes nothing," I muttered to myself and walked out to face Edward.

As I came into the living room, Edward got up to greet me. He put his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I hugged him back thinking it was probably the last time I would be able to. We pulled away from each other and I saw that he had set lunch out on the coffee table.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked him, trying to prolong the inevitable. "We have water or coffee? Em bought some beer yesterday." I was halfway to the kitchen.

"Water is fine for now."

I came back with his water and a beer for myself and sat down on the sofa. Edward furrowed his forehead and sat next to me.

"I have turkey or ham sandwiches and chips. Which would you like?" he asked clearly trying to lighten the mood.

"Turkey, please." He handed me the plate with the turkey sandwich. I looked at it and set it back down. "I don't think I can eat just yet," I said not meeting his eyes.

He put his plate down next to mine and turned to face me.

"Bella. Please look at me." He touched my chin with his fingers, guiding my face towards him. "You have got to tell me what is going on. I have been freaking out for the last two hours."

He dropped his hand to his lap and the other one went to his hair. "Is it me? Did I rush you? I knew I was crazy. Shit," he muttered.

I had to stop him. "Edward, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't rush me, and I am crazy…about you." His eyes lit up and he smiled at me then leaned in and kissed me sweetly.

"I'm glad that I'm not the problem. Why don't you tell me what is."

I sighed heavily. "This is complicated, so please let me finish before you say anything, okay?" Edward took my hand and nodded. "A week ago, well it will be a week ago tomorrow, Emmett and I witnessed a murder." Edward was clearly shaken and stared at me wide-eyed.

I told Edward everything. I told him what we saw, who we talked to, where we stopped along the way and how we decided to come to Bender. I told him about meeting Alice at the diner, even though he knew that already. I wanted to tell him every detail that brought us here. When I was done talking, I just sat and waited for him to explode.

He didn't do that. Instead, he scooted closer to me and picked me up and sat me on his lap. He held me and kissed my hair, my forehead and my cheek. We sat like that for a while. It was so sweet and with the emotional confession I just made, I started to cry.

"Hey, it's okay baby. It'll be okay." He rocked me trying to comfort me.

"Edward? You're not mad at me?" I asked sniffling.

"No babe, I'm not mad at you. Why don't you go in and wash your face. Do you want me to make a cup of tea?"

"Um, yeah, sure. I'll be right back."

Well, that was strange, I thought as I got to the bathroom. This man keeps surprising me. I was sure he would hate me. I was sure he would yell at me and call me every name he could come up with. Maybe I didn't know anything at all.

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**A/N: Well, the truth is out. Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you for reading and to everyone who has put on alert on.**

**SM owns Twilight**

**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 13-Coming Clean

EPOV

_Holy fucking shit._ I went into the kitchen to put the kettle on. I needed to get my head around the fuckery that Bella just informed me about. I just sat there watching the flame of the burner. I was going to have to speak to Emmett about this. I would need to tell my family as well.

I looked up to see Bella standing in the doorway, wringing her hands.

"Come here, Bella." My arms were open, inviting her to me. I pulled her into me as I sat on a bar stool. My legs open so she could stand between them.

"I can't believe you're not mad," she said sadly.

"I am mad." She went to pull away from me, but I held tight. "Not at you, Bella. Just give me a few minutes to get my thoughts together. Want your tea?" She nodded and left my arms to get it.

When she came back she sat on the stool next to me. I pulled it closer to me so I could rest my hands on her knees and look her in the eyes.

"I am so sorry that you had to see that man get killed. And I'm sorry you've had to live with this fear." I leaned in and kissed her lightly. "I do wish you would've said something, but I understand why you didn't. I would like to talk to Emmett about this, and we'll need to tell the rest of the family." Bella sighed heavily.

"I would like to know what brought this on, though. You were fine, then after Jacob showed up, you seemed shaken. What happened?"

Bella took a deep breath, "Well, it started with a nightmare. I dreamed that they found us, and one by one your entire family disappeared. Then I was trying to get to you, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't reach you." I grasped her hand and intertwined our fingers. "Then later, when Jacob approached me, I thought he was one of them. I thought that they found us."

"New York mobsters where Stetson's?" I joked, trying to lighten things a bit.

She chuckled. "No, but other than that and his clothing, yes he looked similar. Both of those men had long hair that was pulled back. They were big, too. He walked up to me like he knew me and got really close."

"What did he say to you?" I tensed up. The thought of Jacob approaching her like that and being so close to her made my hackles rise.

"He asked me my name, so I told him. Then he asked what I was doing later. That was all there was time for before you showed up. Thank you, by the way, for saving me." She kissed me tentatively.

I pulled her in to me and kissed her back, nipping at her lips. I ran my tongue across her bottom lip, she moaned and opened her mouth, meeting my tongue with her own. She tasted like sweet, creamy tea. I tilted my head to deepen the kiss, running my hands along her sides. She broke away first and kissed her way along my jaw to my neck. Bella was scraping her nails across my back. Even through my shirt, it felt fantastic. We were getting carried away, again, and I still had some questions. I slowed my kissing and pulled away, resting my forehead against hers.

"Bella…Bella," I whispered against her lips. Her hands had moved to my hair at the back of my neck, where she was gently scratching.

"Babe, is there anything else you need to tell me about this situation you're in?" I asked.

"On Sunday, Emmett bought a prepaid cell phone so he could call a couple of people back in New York. He called Tyler, the guy who identified the mobsters for us, and our neighbor, Mrs. Cope.

Tyler said that he saw the same men walking around the area where it happened. He thought they were just looking around. Mrs. Cope saw both of the men. One was by the mailboxes in our building. The other one she saw knocking on our door." Bella shuddered.

"That is all I know. Oh, I also e-mailed my friend Angela through a free e-mail account. Em thought that would be okay. I just wanted to let her know that we were safe."

"That's everything?"

"Yes," she sighed.

"Okay, I need to take care of a few things, but I'll be back in about an hour. Do you want to maybe just stay in tonight? I can bring movies and food when I come back." I asked.

"That sounds really good." Bella looked relieved.

I took hold of her shoulders and kissed her soundly. "I'll be back soon. Any requests?"

"Bring back a comedy. I don't think I can handle any more drama right now," She said shaking her head and laughing.

"I can do that. See you in a bit, babe." She walked me to the door and gave me a quick kiss on the corner of my mouth.

I figured that I needed to talk to my dad first, so I headed to the barn. When I got there, Emmett and Jasper were in the office with dad. I stood there wondering if I should just discuss this with everyone in the room, or talk to Emmett privately.

"Something on your mind, son?" Dad asked. Jasper and Emmett turned to look at me.

"Yes. I need to speak to you. All of you, actually." I closed the door and sat on the small sofa that was in there.

"What's going on, Ed?" Jasper asked.

I looked at Emmett and started. "Emmett, I know why you're here. Bella told me everything." His eyes got wide. "I think that you should tell my Dad and Jazz."

"Shit." His head dropped before he looked up again. "Why did she tell you?" His brows were furrowed in confusion.

I told him what had happened earlier with Jacob. Dad and Jasper looked between us, confused.

"Okay, but that still doesn't tell me why she would tell _you_. She could have come and got me." He obviously hasn't seen what has been going on between his sister and I.

"Emmett, Bella and I have gotten…close" I paused to gauge his reaction. "We've spent a lot of time together the last few days. I really can't explain it, we just have this connection. She felt she had to tell me, and I am glad she did," I confessed.

He nodded his head with a look of understanding in his eyes.

"What do you need to tell us, Emmett?" Dad pressed.

Emmett told them everything that Bella told me. Except for one thing. Apparently, he made a third phone call that he never discussed with Bella. He called his dad's friend, Jack. He worked with Charlie as a state trooper.

Emmett told Jack what happened in New York and wanted to know if there was anything he could do. Jack told him that he would look into it and get back to him. So far, he hasn't heard back from him.

"That's some fucked up shit, Em." Jasper sighed. "From what you've told us, I think that you are right. With no paper trail to follow it shouldn't be very easy to find you."

"While that may be true, this is the mob we're talking about boys. You've no idea what kind of connections they have. You also don't know what they know about Emmett and Bella. They can get information from the most innocuous of places. I think we need to tell the women and everyone needs to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious."

"Wait," Emmett said. We all looked at him. "Bella and I should just leave. You all don't deserve to be in the middle of our problems."

"No." I said shaking my head. I couldn't think of Bella leaving. I couldn't protect her if she wasn't here. Emmett stared at me like I had lost my mind.

"I think Edward is right. Stay put. Stay hidden. We have a lot of eyes and ears that can help keep a lookout. I'll contact Billy and let him know what's going on. He can be trusted and the more people we have watching, the better." Dad offered.

"I don't know what to say. This is really above and beyond hospitality." Emmett said.

"Well, that's what families do." Dad glanced at me as he said this.

"But we're not family, you've only known us for a few days." Emmett argued.

"Sometimes that's all it takes, Emmett," Dad said standing up. "I need to finish up around here, then we should go in and talk to the girls."

"You can do that without me, right?" I questioned my dad.

"I really don't see any reason that you need to be there," He answered.

"You have plans, Edward?" Jasper asked as I picked up my hoodie that was left here earlier.

"Yes, I do. And I need to get moving. See you later," I said walking out the door.

I ran up to my room to take a quick shower. I planned on talking to Bella about our relationship. _Relationship?_ I guess that is what this is. This has all happened so fast, it's hard to put a label on it.

While washing my hair, I realized that everyone in my family has had relationships like this. I don't know where Rose and Emmett stand, but everyone else has had whirlwind romances. I quickly finished in the shower. I was feeling apprehensive about being away from Bella.

I put on my Levi's, a t-shirt and a long-sleeved flannel. I wanted to be comfortable tonight. I tried to tame my hair, which was useless. Stopping at my DVD shelf, I picked out a few funny movies, including one that Bella had mentioned really liking.

I went into the kitchen to grab something for our dinner. Neither of us had eaten the lunch I brought earlier, so I figured that sandwiches would be alright again. Mom had some homemade soup in the freezer, so I grabbed a container of that. I left the unopened bag of chips at Bella's. That should be good. I packed it all up and went to Bella.

I knocked and Bella opened the door with a smile. "You look better." I said as I walked in. She had changed into pajama shorts and a tight little tank top. I could tell she wasn't wearing a bra. She looked delicious.

Bella saw my hoodie hanging off my arm and snatched it up and put it on. I hated to see her cover up, but now she was absolutely mouthwatering.

"Can you find a pot? Mom makes this awesome tomato soup and freezes it. I also brought more sandwiches, since we didn't eat the first ones."

"That sounds good, I'm starving." Bella said as she started warming the soup. "What movies did you bring?"

"The Hangover, Knocked Up and," I held the last one up, waving it at her, "Elf."

"You remembered!"

During our game Q and A yesterday, Bella told me that she loved that movie.

"Of course I did. Before we watch this, though, can we talk?" She nodded and came over to sit on the sofa. I sat next to her, taking her hand in mine.

"Um.." I hesitated. "I just wanted to talk to you about whatever this is going on between us. I really like you, a lot. This has happened so fast. I just wanted to see if we are on the same page. I've never experienced something like this. I had one girlfriend in college and didn't feel for her half of what I feel for you. I find that I am second guessing myself, afraid that I'm rushing you, but…this feels right." I waited for Bella to speak.

"I feel the same way. I know this is fast. My head is spinning. All I know is that I've never felt so comfortable with someone. I feel like I can tell you anything." It was Bella's turn to hesitate.

"I, um…feel like you are a part of me that I never knew I was missing." She had dropped her head and was now looking at me shyly through her eyelashes, biting her bottom lip.

_Fucking hell, she looked adorable_

I reached for her, pulling her to me. Our kiss started slow and sweet, tasting and exploring. My tongue teased her lips, and she opened her mouth for me. Our tongues tangled with each other poking and prodding.

My hands roamed over her back and sides under my jacket. I leaned back to rest against the back of the sofa, bringing her with me. She crawled into my lap. My lips left hers and found her neck. Every noise she made went straight to my cock.

She had one arm around my neck, and her other hand was fisting my shirt. I gently pushed her away to peel my jacket off of her. I needed more contact with her skin. As soon as I removed it, my lips found her shoulders. I suckled and kissed my way back up to her lips, immediately pushing my tongue into her mouth. She tasted so good and was so soft and warm. I wanted to consume her.

She shifted her position and grazed my cock. I moaned and rocked my hips. Bella cried out softly, moving her mouth to my neck. She nipped and sucked at the skin on the side of my neck. I'd probably have a mark there.

When she was done, I nudged her chin with my nose, wanting her to expose her neck to me. I found a spot between her collarbone and neck to leave my own mark. As I moved to take her earlobe between my lips, her stomach growled. Loudly. We both pulled away from each other, chuckling.

"I guess we should get you something to eat." I brought her closer with a hug and kissed her temple. "Bella…that was…awesome." I whispered against her hair.

"Yeah, it was." She heaved a sigh. Bella wiggled her way off of me, which did not help my situation. "I'll go check on the soup." She said as she walked towards the kitchen.

"I'll be right in." I needed a minute to try to control the raging hard-on I was left with. I sat there, eyes closed, with my head against the back of the sofa. All I could see, smell and taste was Bella. I had I wanted to consume her, but, I think she has consumed me.

I opened my eyes to the sound of Bella setting our dinner on the coffee table. "I was going to help with that."

"Here," she handed me a DVD "You can put this in."

We settled in to eat and watch the movie. I had seen it before, but found it funnier watching it with Bella. When we finished eating, I moved so my back was to the arm of the sofa. I had one leg stretched out along the back and the other with my foot on the floor.

Bella snuggled into my chest sitting between my legs. Her arms were resting on my thighs. My hands were on her waist. Her tank top had risen slightly, so I was touching bare skin. She was sitting in such a way that I could rest my chin on her head. I felt totally at peace.

"Hey, babe," I nudged Bella, "you want to go with me on my outside rounds tomorrow? Tuesdays I make my house calls, I guess you could call them. I usually head out around nine-thirty."

"Sure, sounds like fun."

By the time the movie was over, Bella had fallen asleep. I found the remote and turned the TV off. Trying not to wake her, I picked her up and put her to bed. As I brought the blanket up her body, she grabbed hold of my arm.

"Edward," she said softly, "Don't go. Please stay with me, sleep here with me."

Now how the hell could I turn that down?

"Sure, babe. Let me hit the bathroom and I'll be right back." I used the bathroom and washed up. I walked back out to the bedroom and went to unbutton my jeans. "Bella, um, do you mind if I sleep in my boxers?" I didn't want to assume too much.

"No, I don't mind. How ever you're comfortable."

I took my jeans and flannel shirt off and got into Bella's bed. She turned to me and I kissed her long and slow. "Baby, you should sleep," I said when I pulled away.

She turned around so her back was to me. I pulled her close and kissed her hair before telling her, "Goodnight, Bella."

She mumbled a 'gnight' and I felt her lips on my arm before she fell asleep. Not long after, I followed.

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**A/N: Leave me your thoughts and thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: So this chapter is a bit shorter than the past few BUT it is also a LEMON-well kind of... :) Enjoy.**

**SM owns Twilight**

**Kari-sandwich kisses to you babe!**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter14-Taking The Ride

BPOV

I'm not sure what woke me at two-thirty a.m. I think it may have been divine intervention, because the god-like man lying next to me was a heavenly sight to behold.

Edward was bathed in moonlight and looked absolutely stunning. I raised myself up on an elbow and just took in his beauty. He was lying on his back with his right arm thrown up on the pillow over his shoulder. His left hand was resting across his stomach. His left leg was lying on top of the blankets. I decided that I would take full advantage of this opportunity to have some uninterrupted time to really look at Edward.

His hair was in it's usual disarray, the moonlight making it shimmer. I lightly ran a finger across his brow, then down the side of his face and along his strong jaw. His lips, slightly parted, were plump, soft and warm.

His right arm, lying next to me on the pillow, was close enough for me to kiss. I couldn't resist. When my lips ghosted his well defined tricep, the muscle involuntarily twitched. Edward's forearms were toned and beautiful, his hands large and strong.

My eyes raked back over to his chest, hidden by the tightly stretched t-shirt. His long fingers, splayed across his stomach, moved slightly as he sighed in his sleep. The thigh muscle of his leg was even sexy, leading down to his strong calf. My perusal of his body had mine in a high state of arousal. Just looking at this man made me wet. Edward's body should be a blueprint for what a man ought to look like. Long, lean and strong. _Damn Fucking hot._

I couldn't stop myself, I had to touch more of him. I sat up and ran my hand across his chest and abdomen, caressing the muscles I could feel beneath his shirt. I had to reach in order to touch his left arm. Leaning over him like that, his scent overtook me. It was a heady mix of musk, sweetness and man. It was intoxicating. It was nipple hardening. I palmed his strong, sturdy shoulder, dragging my hand down the length of his arm. Edward moved slightly, causing my gaze to fall on his face. I caught sight of his hair again and had to feel the soft silkiness of it. As I ran my fingers through his hair, he opened his eyes. I pulled my hand away. I had been caught.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Edward whispered gently, his voice still thick with sleep.

My face was warm with guilt. I had been oblivious to everything but eye-fucking Edward. I couldn't find my voice. Edward sat up and took hold of my chin, guiding my eyes to his.

"Bella." He said my name so softly, I barely heard him. His hand cradled my face and his fingers curled around my neck as he pulled me to him. Our lips met and moved together softly, gently. I opened my mouth, sucking in Edward's bottom lip. He moaned and I felt his tongue lick at my lips. I parted my lips, letting him in and stroking it with my own.

The next thing I knew, I was lying down with Edward hovering over me, nestled between my legs. He looked into my eyes for a moment before kissing me fiercely. I pulled him down, wanting to feel his weight on me. We kissed with tongues licking, tasting, probing. He moved his lips to my neck, nipping and sucking his way to my collarbone. My hands were on his back, one grasping at his shoulder, one fisting his shirt. Our moans and gasps filled the air.

Edward removed some of his weight, propping up on an elbow. He moved his mouth to the hem of my tank, licking and kissing at the tops of my breasts. He glanced up at me, making sure I was alright with what he was doing. My hands went to his hair, pulling him back down to my chest. Edward muttered something as his lips made contact with my skin. His right hand was gripping my waist, his fingers pressing into my skin. I was running my nails over his arms and back, anywhere I could reach.

"Bella…shit…that feels good." Edward whispered against my skin. He moved his mouth over my left breast. I could feel his hot breath through my tank. I arched my back and he started nuzzling my nipple. I could feel his hard cock pressing against my thigh.

"Oh…" I moaned. Edward started sucking my nipple through my top. I bucked my hips at the contact. He flicked and fondled the other one. After a few moments, he would switch sides, then go back again. He was humming and moaning, licking and sucking. I was close to cumming already. I grabbed at his shirt, needing to feel more skin. He pulled it off, quickly resuming the attention he was giving to my breasts. I attached my lips to his now exposed shoulder, licking and nipping his skin.

Edward was pushing my top down with his nose, snaking his tongue out to graze my nipple. I wriggled my hands down, trying to remove my shirt. Edward sat back and gently pulled my tank off.

"Bella, you are so beautiful," he whispered as he cupped both of my breasts. He ran his thumbs over my nipples. I gripped his arms and pulled him back down. His chest crushed to mine and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He started kissing me and flipped us over. When I adjusted my position, my aching pussy pressed down on Edward's cock. His hands went to my hips, holding me to him. We rocked against each other, moaning and gasping.

"Shit, Bella!…you are so fucking sexy," he growled softly before pulling me down to suckle my breast, still grinding into me.

"Unh…Edward I'm…oh…" I couldn't stop the noises falling from my lips.

"That's it, cum for me baby. Fuck…Bella…unh…you feel so good, babe. Cum with me Bella…" And I did. It was amazing. Edward followed me soon after, groaning my name. I fell to his chest. Edward wrapped his arms around me kissing my head. It was the best non-sex ever.

EPOV

I woke up to Bella's tits grazing my chest. She was reaching for my arm. I kept my eyes closed until she ran her fingers through my hair.

"Bella, what are you doing?" I quietly asked.

She quickly pulled her hand away and dropped her head. I had to make her look at me. I was thankful that the moon was shining so brightly or I'd have missed the look of desire and adoration in her eyes.

I stared at her for a few moments before I pulled her into a kiss. She sucked on my lip and I had to taste her. She was so sweet and warm and it felt so good kissing her.

The next thing I knew, I was hovering over her. We kissed, teased and tasted each other. Bella's hands were on my back and in my hair. Her nails were scratching at my skin and it felt great. She felt great.

I moved my lips down her neck, sucking and licking my way to her luscious tits.

I licked across the top of them, tasting her sweet, soft skin. I looked at her needing to make sure she was alright with what I was doing. When she pulled my head back to her chest, all I could think was _fucking hell._ I may have even said it out loud.

I couldn't get enough of feeling her skin under my fingers. I had to get my mouth on her tits. They were calling to me. Bella bucked her hips and made contact with my cock. Fuck! I could feel the heat from her hot little pussy. I dove in, kissing and sucking her tits through her shirt. She smelled amazing. It was fresh and clean and sweet and just Bella. I knew I was making a lot of noise, but couldn't find it in me to care.

Bella started pulling at my shirt, so I whipped it off and got back to sucking her nipples. When I felt her biting at my shoulder, I almost blew my load. I wanted a bare breast in my mouth, so I tried moving her top down with my nose, reaching out with my tongue. She was trying to take her shirt off, so of course, I had to help her out.

When I got her top off, I just stared. She was so fucking beautiful. I told her so as I put my hands on her bare tits. They fit perfectly into my hands. She pulled at me, bringing me closer. I wanted to see her so when I leaned down and kissed her, I got a hold of her and flipped us over.

_Holy shit!_ The moonlight was shining on her tits and I had to have them in my hands. As I reached for her, she moved and pressed her hot sex on to my dick. _Fuck!_ My hands changed course and grabbed her hips, holding her on my cock. Both of us rocked and grinded against each other. I watched her tits shake and jiggle with our movements. This girl was blowing my mind.

"Shit, Bella!…you are so fucking sexy, babe," I told her as I pulled her nipple into my mouth. I licked and flicked at her hard, juicy nub before opening my mouth and sucking in as much of her tit as I could. I knew Bella was close. She was saying my name and making some erotic noises. I couldn't help myself from urging her on, both with my cock and my words. I had to get her there. I was going to cum and I was bringing my girl with me.

"That's it, cum for me baby. Fuck…Bella, you feel so good, babe. Cum with me Bella…" And she did. I held her tight and bucked my hips once more as I watched her fall apart. That is all it took. I came in my boxers against her heated core, crying her name. It was amazing. I pulled Bella to my chest, kissing her hair and holding her close. It was _the _fucking best non-sex ever.

I rolled us on to our sides, staring in to Bella's eyes. I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her long and slow.

"Bella, that was…awesome." I said, pressing my forehead against hers.

"Yeah, it was pretty great," she sighed.

"I'm going to go clean up," I said, kissing her as I got up. When I got to the bathroom, I realized I had nothing to change into.

"Babe? Do you think I could borrow a pair of shorts or something from Emmett?"

Bella laughed. "Yeah, I'll go find you something. Get cleaned up, I want to go back to sleep."

As I finished washing up, I heard a soft knock at the door. I wrapped a towel around my waist and opened the door. Bella had a pair of shorts in her hands. "Here you go."

I kissed her. "Thanks babe." I put the shorts on and joined Bella in bed.

We wrapped ourselves around each other, exchanging light kisses and touches. Bella snuggled into my chest and I heard her yawn.

"We should sleep, Bella. My phone alarm is set for seven-thirty."

"Okay," she said sleepily. "Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, baby."

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**A/N: So not quite a lemon, but...good? Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello all-Many thanks to everyone who is reading/reviewing or alerting CRR-I appreciate each of you.**

**Kari- Get well soon bb. **

**SM still owns Twilight**

**Rated M for language and lemons**

**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 15-Making The Rounds

EPOV

Waking up with a beautiful woman wrapped around you is…fucking awesome. Bella's head was on my chest, her hair was draped over my shoulder. She had her arm laying over my stomach and her leg was thrown over mine.

My thoughts went to earlier this morning and my massive make-out session with Bella, if that's what you'd call it. Remembering the feeling of her nails scraping across my skin caused me to shiver.

I recalled the taste and feel of her skin and the softness of her body. I closed my eyes and could see her again, straddling me. Her long hair was hanging over her shoulders, tickling her beautiful tits. Thinking about the taste of her lovely nipples made my dick hard. I knew that I shouldn't let myself get carried away. I had a busy day ahead of me and the alarm should be going off soon. Thankfully, Bella was starting to wake up.

"Hey, beautiful," I whispered before kissing her hair.

"G'morning," she sleepily replied. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long." I reached for my phone to turn the alarm off. "It's almost time to get up."

Bella sat up an stretched her arms over her head, exposing the skin where her top had risen. I reached over and ran my hand along her stomach. She turned to me and laid herself on my chest. I wrapped her hair in my fingers and pulled her in for a kiss. She squirmed against me, pressing her tits into my chest.

"Babe," I groaned, "we need to get going." I kissed her again and patted her ass to get her moving. I knew if I didn't get her off of me, we wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

"Okay, I'll go start some coffee. Do you want to get in the shower?" She asked, getting off the bed.

_Bella in the shower…_ Yeah. I shook my head, trying to shake that image from my brain.

"Good idea," I said. Thankfully, she was walking out the door. I didn't want her to notice the colossal hard-on I was sporting as I made my way to the bathroom.

I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and rubbed one out to the image of Bella on top of me with her tits hanging in my face. I quickly washed up and got out, hoping we could have a repeat performance of our earlier activities tonight.

Since all I had were the clothes from yesterday, I put them on. I would change when we got up to the house. Bella came in with a cup of coffee for me.

"Here's your coffee," she said with a kiss. "I'm getting in the shower, will you wait for me?"

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere without you," I winked at her. "I'll be waiting out there," I told her, indicating with my thumb towards the bedroom door. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her, my hands resting on her ass. I couldn't help it. I loved her ass. I reluctantly let her go and went to the kitchen.

As I was getting more coffee, I heard the front door. Emmett joined me in the kitchen.

"A little early for a house call, isn't it Doc?" Emmett looked pissed.

"Uh…well…Bella asked me…" was all I got out before he stopped me.

"Dude, I'm fucking with you," he was laughing hysterically. "What my sister does isn't any of my business. His face turned serious. "Unless you fuck up. Then it will be."

"I hear you, Emmett. I don't intend on fucking this up."

"Where's Bella?" he asked.

"Taking a shower. She's going to go with me today on my rounds. Tuesdays I normally have outside appointments. What are you up to today?"

"I'm going to help Jasper get the shed built. We should have it finished up today." He told me.

I heard Bella padding down the hall.

"Edward? Oh, hi Em. Where were you last night?" Bella asked drying her hair with a towel.

He looked a me slyly. "I stayed with Rosie last night."

"_Rosie_, huh?" Bella asked smiling at her brother.

"Yep. I'm gonna go hit the shower. See you two later." Emmett said, apparently not wanting to divulge any more information.

"Later, Em." Bella answered, then turned her attention to me. "I'll be ready in just a few minutes."

I walked the few steps to her that separated us and kissed her soundly. "No problem, babe."

Bella came out ready to go wearing some tight ass jeans and an equally tight v-neck t-shirt. I stood from my seat and pulled her to me. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and kissed me.

"Okay, let's get going, Dr. Cullen," she said scooting away from me giggling.

"Bella," I said seriously, "I told you what that does to me."

She smiled impishly. "Yes, I remember."

I grabbed her hand and headed out the door. On the walk up to the house she asked how long we'd be out today.

"It's hard to say, but barring any problems, we should be back by four. Why?

"I was thinking that I'd like to cook dinner tonight for everyone. We'd need to stop at a grocery store on the way home."

"Well, I can't guarantee when we'll be done, but we should make it back in time. We can stop after the last patient and get what you need. Does that sound alright?" I asked as we walked through the front door of the house.

"Sounds perfect. Thanks."

"I'm going to run up and change, I'll be down in a minute." I said kissing her before ascending the stairs. Since that first kiss, I can't seem to stop.

I came back down, finding Bella in the kitchen with my parents. She was telling my mom about her plans to cook for everyone. My dad was looking over the top of the newspaper he was reading, staring at the two women. When I sat next to him, he gave me a knowing look. What it was he knew, I had no idea.

Bella joined me, handing me a bowl of oatmeal my mother had made. Mom came to stand behind my father and smiled at me. I arched an eyebrow at her wondering what the hell she was smiling about. She just looked at Bella, then back at me. I smiled back and shook my head. We finished our breakfast and headed out.

"We just need to get some things from the barn and we can head out," I said opening the barn door for Bella. "Would you go into the office and see if there is a package on the desk? The delivery guy should've been here already. I'll grab what I need from the supply closet."

"Is this it?" she asked, showing me a box.

I glanced at it. "Yep, that's it. Come on, let's go." We loaded up the truck and got on the road.

"Our first stop will be the Black's place. I need to check on a couple of their calves and a bull that hasn't been acting right." I grabbed her hand. "Jacob will be there. Is that going to be a problem?" I looked at her, trying to gauge her reaction.

Squeezing my hand, she said, "No. Now that I know who he is, it'll be fine. Although, he did get a little too close for my liking."

"That shouldn't be a problem today. I had a little talk with him yesterday, so he should behave appropriately. If he doesn't, let me know." I brought her hand to my lips and kissed across her fingers.

"Yeah, I uh…heard some of what you said to him." I looked over at her a little worried. "I heard you tell him that I was your girlfriend." She looked like she was waiting for an explanation.

"Well, you looked so uncomfortable and I was just trying to…" Bella didn't let me finish.

"Edward, it's okay. I know you were just trying to get him to leave me alone." She was looking out the window.

I slowed the truck, pulling to the side of the road before stopping. I turned towards her. "Bella? Look at me, please" She did. "I was trying to get him to leave you alone. I don't want him or any other guy paying that kind of attention to you except for me. Is that okay?" _please say it's okay._

Bella's eyes lit up and looked a little watery. "Yes, Edward. That's more than okay."

I meant to only kiss her chastely, but when Bella's tongue licked across my lips, my mouth went into overdrive. My hand wound into her pony tail and I held her to me, kissing her hard and deep. Her hand was fisting my shirt and she was making these little noises that went straight to my dick. Bella started to pull away, making me remember where we were.

"I guess we should get going," I said smirking at her as I pulled the truck back onto the road.

A few minutes later, we arrives at the Black's farm. I pulled alongside the corral where the calves were and parked the truck. I saw Billy walking out from the house to meet us.

"Babe, would you get that box for me?" I asked as I got my bag and headed to the corral.

"Good morning, Edward. How's your folks?" Billy asked.

"They're just fine. How are you?"

"No complaints. Who's this pretty little thing?' He asked as Bella came to my side.

"Bella, this is Billy Black." Bella smiled shyly.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Black." she said politely.

"Just Billy, and it is good to meet you, too. I've heard nice things about you."

Bella and I both looked confused. "Really? From who?" Bella asked.

"Well, I spoke to Carlisle about you and your predicament. Jake had good things to say about you, too."

I had forgotten that dad was going to call Billy about Bella and Emmett's troubles. I nodded in understanding while Bella looked a little nervous.

"Let me see to these calves." I said, moving things along.

It didn't take long for me to see to the cows. I handed Billy his delivery and left to see to the bull whose pen was on the other side of the barn. Bella stayed behind to pet the calves.

I gave the bull a thorough exam, but couldn't find anything wrong. I told Billy that if his bull wasn't better in a day or two, to give us a call. Billy went into the barn as I made my way back to Bella.

I rounded the corner and saw Jacob leaning on the fence talking to Bella. I heard him say something about protecting her and quickened my pace. Was I going to have to teach this pup a lesson?

"Jacob." I narrowed my eyes at him as I stood next to the fence.

"Edward." He looked uneasy as he straightened up.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" I asked crossing my arms across my chest.

"Jacob was just telling me that I would be better protected if I stayed here." Bella quipped.

Obviously, his father clued him in to what was going on.

"Jake, I'm pretty sure that Bella is perfectly content staying with us." I looked at her for confirmation. She nodded emphatically. "Furthermore," I winked at Bella, "I thought I told you that she is _my girlfriend." _

I moved so that I was directly in front of Jacob, inches away from his face. "Back. The Fuck. Off. I don't want to have this conversation with you again," I warned quietly.

"Yeah, no problem. I got it, Cullen," he sighed, looking past me at Bella.

"Great!" I said happily, clapping him on the shoulder. "See you around Jake."

"Bella, you ready to go, babe?" I smiled smugly at Jacob.

"Yep." Bella climbed out of the corral and headed for the truck. "Goodbye, Jacob."

"Bye, Bella," he whined.

I made sure Jacob saw me kiss Bella before we drove off. I knew it was juvenile, but he pissed me off and I was going to take every opportunity to make damn sure he knew that Bella was mine.

We drove to the Stanley's to check on the puppies. They seemed to be doing well and were developing normally. The little guy that I was concerned about had gained some weight and was looking a lot better. Bella fell in love with him._ lucky pup!_ When I finally coerced her into leaving, it was time to head to the next stop.

Mrs. Masen's cat had an eye infection, so I gave her an antibiotic for it. She was a sweet older lady who insisted we eat lunch with her.

Mr. Banner was my last stop. His dog was kicked by a horse and it broke his leg. I was removing the cast today. We were going to be done earlier than I thought, so I called home to let mom know that Bella would be back in time to make dinner.

I was impressed with Bella's knowledge. She was a big help to me today, even though all the calls had been fairly routine. I couldn't help but think what an asset she could be to us.

I had also decided that I wanted to do something fun with Bella. There wasn't a lot to do around here, but the city wasn't too far away.

We were close to the Clearwater's place, so I decided stop and check on Seth. I wanted to make sure he was going to be at the barn tomorrow. Mrs. Clearwater assured me he was better and would be in. Now, I just had to figure out what to do.

We stopped at the grocery store for Bella to get the ingredients she needed. I tried to pay, but she wouldn't let me. As we were leaving the store, I saw a poster advertising the new water park Mike had talked about. _Hmm…Bella… bikini…water…_yeah. We were going to the water park tomorrow.

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**A/N: Leave me your thoughts...thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Edward and Bella continue to get closer this chapter...that's always good, right? Thanks for reading!**

**Kari-Hope you're feeling better soon girl!**

**SM Owns Twilight**

**Rated M for language and lemons**

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**Chapter 16-Baring Souls

BPOV

Edward pulled his truck up next to my car in front of the cabin. We both took a bag of groceries inside. As soon as we set them on the counter, I found myself pressed against the fridge, being kissed and groped by Edward.

"Bella," he sighed. "I've been wanting to do this all day."

He had one hand in my hair and another on my ass, kissing me hard. I licked at his lips, wanting to taste him. I was remembering earlier this morning how good he tasted and how good it felt with his hands on my body. This man was an Adonis and he wanted me. Who was I to deny a god?

I put my hands in his hair and scratched roughly over his scalp. I knew he liked it, he moaned every time I did it. We slowed things down after Edward had thoroughly and completely kissed me into oblivion. I needed to get dinner in the oven anyway.

We both washed up and Edward helped me get the food ready. I gave him salad duty while I got the chicken and rice ready for the oven. We worked really well together. It felt nice doing this simple task with Edward. After it was in, I told him it would be ready in an hour. Edward wanted to shower and change, as did I. We went our separate ways, with him saying he would be back as soon as he finished.

I jumped in the shower thinking over the day. Edward had thanked me for helping him today. I really hadn't done much. I helped with the puppies and Mrs. Masen's cat. I held down the dog with the broken leg and that was about it. I liked it though. Working alongside Edward was great. Whether it was with the animals or in the kitchen, we seemed to anticipate each other's needs. Kind of like we were a team. _I'd love to be on Edward's team!_ I thought.

I finished showering and started getting ready. I wondered what Edward said to Jacob today. I was glad he came over when he did. I didn't have any problem telling Jacob off, but I was glad I didn't have to piss off one of Edward's clients. I chose a dark blue sundress to wear and put my hair up in a clip. The oven timer should be sounding soon, so I finished up and went to the kitchen.

Edward was waiting for me when I came out. He was looking fine with his just tight enough Levi's and untucked button down shirt. He had rolled up his sleeves to the elbow, making his forearms look all kinds of sexy.

"You look ravishing, Bella." Edward wrapped me up in his arms planting a wet kiss on my lips.

"You look nice, too." I kissed him as the timer went off.

"What do you think about having some fun tomorrow?" Edward asked as I opened the oven.

"What kind of fun are we talking about, Dr. Cullen?" I was going for sexy, but it may have come out sounding pathetic.

"Bella." he warned. Guess it was sexy.

"Sorry. Well, not really, but…anyway, what did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could go check out that water park. What do you think?" He asked.

"That sounds like a lot of fun! I've always wanted to go to one of those."

"Would you mind if we invited the rest of the family?" Edward looked a little anxious, as if I wouldn't like the idea.

"That would be great. Can everyone get away? Doesn't someone need to stay here?"

"We'll work something out, babe. We can talk to everyone at dinner. By the way, Alice will be here in a few minutes to help bring all this up to the house."

I walked over to where Edward sat and stood between his legs. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me into a hug laying his head against my chest. I kissed the top of his head relishing the softness and smell of his hair.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled against my chest.

"Will you stay with me again tonight?" I asked timidly.

Edward's head shot up. He had a huge smile on his face. "Really? Yeah, babe, I would love to." He stood up and started kissing behind my ear. He nipped and sucked his way down to my collarbone, licking in a line all the way across to the other side. Just as he went to make his way up the other side, there was a knock at the door.

"I guess we'll have to continue this later," I said, pecking him on the cheek and going to the door. He swatted at my ass when I walked away. I think he took every opportunity to touch my ass, not that I minded.

Alice and Jasper came over to help bring dinner up to the house.

"Do you mind if we eat outside? It's really nice out." Alice asked.

"That sounds fine. Everyone grab something, I'm ready to eat!" I said.

Edward, Jasper, Alice and I brought dinner up to the picnic tables that were already set. The rest of the family had gathered and we all sat down.

"Before we get started, Emmett, Bella, I just wanted to tell you that I've spoken to some of our friends and they are all aware of your situation. They can be trusted, so don't worry about that.

Harry Clearwater and I took the liberty to do a little research on-line and found some pictures of some of these people and e-mailed them to everyone who is on alert. I wanted you to know that we are all behind you. So," Carlisle cleared his throat, "with that being said, let's dig into this wonderful looking dinner that Bella has prepared."

Everyone was very gracious with their compliments about dinner. I felt a certain amount of satisfaction that they all were enjoying the meal I had prepared.

"See? I told you my baby sis could cook!" Em exclaimed.

"Thanks, Em." I could always count on my brother to sing my praises. It got a little embarrassing sometimes, but I loved him for it.

"Everyone?" Edward said gaining their attention. "I am taking Bella to the water park tomorrow and we were thinking it would be nice if everyone could go with us. What do you think?"

They all started talking at once about the logistics of everyone leaving the facility. Carlisle interjected with his own idea.

"Why don't you kids go. Esme and I will stay here. We've got Mike tomorrow and between the three of us we can handle things." Esme nodded in agreement.

We all asked various forms of 'are you sure?' and we were assured it would be fine.

"Alice, do you or Rosalie have a swim suit I could borrow? I really didn't think about needing one in our haste to get the hell out of New York." I laughed. It felt good to openly refer to our problem.

"I'm sure between the two of us, we can come up with something for you." Alice smiled. Edward whispered something to his sister, who was sitting on the other side of him.

We all talked about plans for the following day. We decided driving arrangements and things we wanted to do when we got there as we finished dinner.

Edward told me he was going to pack a bag and do a run through of the barn before he joined me at the cabin. Emmett helped me bring things back, as he was packing an overnight bag as well.

After Em left for the house, I cleaned up the dishes and made coffee. I figured Edward would still be a while, so I decided to change into my pj's and wait for him.

I checked my e-mail and found that both Angela and Charlotte had sent me a message. Angela said she hoped we were alright and to contact her when I could.

Charlotte, however, seemed a little pissed. She understood why we had to leave, but was upset that I hadn't called her since it all started. I'd have to ask Emmett if I could use his phone.

Just as I closed up my computer, Edward was coming through the door. I got up to meet him. I was momentarily stunned. He was still wearing the same thing he had changed into earlier, but, fuck me if he wasn't the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on.

EPOV

As I ran through my rounds at the barn, I couldn't help but think about tomorrow. When Bella had asked my sister about a swim suit, I had to ask Alice if she could make sure that Bella borrowed a bikini. I was also thinking about what tonight would bring. I wasn't _expecting_ anything to happen, but I was really fucking hoping.

I got to the cabin as quickly as I could. I made sure that I packed extra boxers just in case.

"Hey, babe." I said as I walked in the door. Bella was in front of the sofa, holding her laptop. "What are you doing?" I asked pointing to the computer.

"I was just looking at some e-mail. Charlotte and Angela had both sent one. I feel bad about the way we left, but it couldn't be helped."

I kissed her and she told me to put my bag in her room. I came back out with the bottle of wine I had packed. Bella was wearing those little shorts and a thin tank top again. Dark purple. My whole body quivered with anticipation.

"What'cha got there, doc?" Bella said playfully.

"I thought maybe we could build a fire, drink some wine, relax. What do you think?" I asked seductively.

"That sounds wonderful. I see about some glasses while you get the fire started."

_The fire is already burning_, I thought, discreetly adjusting myself. I felt like I was in a constant state of arousal around this woman. There was firewood on the porch, so after getting some, I started the fire. In the fireplace. Bella had found some glasses and poured the wine.

I grabbed some pillows off the sofa and threw them down on the floor in front of the fire. I sat down, holding my arms out to Bella.

"Come here Bella." I needed to get my hands on her. It had only been a couple of hours, but it was still too long. She settled in next to me and I wrapped an arm around her. I kissed her slowly, but thoroughly. We broke away from each other and drank our wine.

"Tell me something from your childhood." I asked Bella, running my finger through her hair.

"Like what?"

"How about camp. You mentioned you went when you were young." I prompted.

"Well, I went to camp for about five years. There was a group of us that hung out together every summer. We drove our counselors crazy with the pranks we pulled.

One year, there was this kid who had been a pain in everyone's ass and we tried to float him and his air mattress on the lake. Like in the movie 'The Parent Trap?' Yeah, it didn't work. We barely got him onto the water and it started to sink. We had poked a hole in it bringing him to the water!"

"I've always wanted to do that to someone." I laughed.

"The next year, he was back. He had changed a lot. He apologized for the previous year and told me that he liked me. He acted like an ass because he was jealous of my group of friends. His name was Riley and he was my first kiss. It was awkward and uncomfortable. Neither of us knew what we were doing. That was the last year I went to camp, so I never saw him again." She admitted.

"I bet you were cute." I said, kissing her hair.

"I was gangly and uncomfortable in my own skin, just like most twelve year old girls." She snorted.

"Well, you definitely aren't gangly anymore." I whispered in her ear and felt her shiver.

"How about you? Tell me about your old girlfriends." Bella smiled coyly at me.

"Yes, I suppose we should have that conversation. I've only had a couple. Kate was the only one in high school. We went out for a few months. I took her to the prom. She broke up with me for the captain of the football team." I stuck my bottom lip out looking for sympathy. Bella laughed at me.

"What about in college?"

"Lauren was the only girlfriend I had in college. We went out for about eight months. When she found out that I was planning on working here at the ranch and not setting up my own practice, she dumped me. It really didn't bother me too much. I had already begun to realize that she was looking for someone with money and higher aspirations. I had never told her about my inheritance, thank god!" I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Since then, I dated a little. Then, of course, Alice happened. She set me up on about five blind dates of which none were even close to working out."

"How about you? Tell me about your boyfriends."

"Boyfriend. Only one. I did go out on dates in high school. No one ever stuck around very long. I think that my father and Emmett had something to do with that." She smirked.

"Eric was the only serious one in college. We were together for a few months in my sophomore year. He was my _first._ I walked in on him with my best friend at the time. They were in my bed! I found out that he was with me to get to her.

After that, I went out on a few dates, but mostly focused on my school work." Bella sighed. "After my parents died, I was never really interested. Well, not until you." She said shyly.

I sat up and looked her in the eyes. "Maybe we had to go through all that to get to where we are right now. I, for one, am ecstatic that none of them worked out. You are a thousand times better than anything I've ever experienced and worth every one of those horrible blind dates." I felt like I was baring my soul to Bella.

"That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me!" She said as she threw herself at me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. She pulled out of the embrace to kiss me. This kiss felt different. It was slow and deep. It was calming and confirming to me that we both felt the same way.

Bella broke the kiss, both of us out of breath. We sat in front of the fading fire, holding each other, just talking about whatever popped into our heads. It was comfortable and relaxed and again, it just felt _right_.

"What are we going to do, Edward? I feel like I never want to leave you." She whispered, tears forming in he eyes.

_Then don't._ I knew it wasn't that simple so I offered the only thing I could.

"Baby, I don't want you to leave, either. Let's just give it a couple of days and we'll talk about it then. Tomorrow is about having fun, just focus on that for now, okay?"

Bella thought about it for a minute, then said "Okay. Let's go to bed." I took care of the fire and we went to the bedroom.

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**A/N: Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading**


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: Big Fat Lemon Alert here folks-enjoy. Thanks for reading!**

**Kari-I didn't touch this-just saying...**

**SM owns Twilight**

**Rated M for language and lemons**

**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 17-Yeah, I got Nothing.

EPOV

Bella grabbed her brush and looked into the mirror. I stood behind her and placed my hands on either side of her head at her temples. She dropped her arms to her side. I ran my hands down the sides of her face, down her neck and shoulders until I reached her hands. I took the brush from her and began to brush her hair.

"I love your hair." I whispered. "It's so soft and shiny." I buried my face in it hearing Bella whimper. "It smells so good." I said as I continued brushing it. She had closed her eyes, but opened them when I set the brush down. She looked at me in the mirror, then turned.

"Edward..." was all she said. I love hearing my name fall from her lips. I captured them with my own. I kissed her, sucking and biting at her lips. She pushed against me, encouraging me to move. I backed my way across the room to the bed. She hit the switch on the wall, leaving only a bedside lamp on.

When we stopped moving, Bella took my flannel shirt off and gently pushed me to lie down. I fell back bringing her with me, straddling my hips. I kissed her, licking at her lips, demanding that she open them. I felt her tongue caress mine and couldn't stop the moan that escaped me. I took one hand off her ass and put it on her back under her top. Her skin was so soft, I had to touch it.

"Edward, you are wearing too much clothing." She said as she sat up, wriggling her way off of me.

I stood and removed everything but my boxers and joined her where she layed on the bed.

"Bella, you are so beautiful." I told her before kissing her. I nipped and sucked my way to the top of her shirt. I ran my nose across her nipples that were prominently showing through the thin fabric.

"Oh…" she cried softly as I licked and pulled at them with my teeth. I ran my hands across her stomach, pushing the top up as I went. When I got it up to her breasts, she sat up a little for me to pull it off. I immediately attached my mouth to one while taking the other in my hand.

"Edward…that feels so good." Bella ran her fingers across my chest, grazing my own nipples. I shuddered when she flicked one.

I placed myself between her legs, grinding my cock against her. She bucked her hips at the contact and pulled my face to her.

We kissed, exploring with our tongues, tasting each other. I ran my fingers over the edge of her shorts. She moaned and bucked against me. I swirled my fingers down towards her heat, watching her face.

I slowly ran a finger over the top of her mound, pressing gently. Bella moaned and squirmed a little, indicating to me that I was okay to proceed. I pressed my fingers to her fabric covered pussy, feeling the heat and wetness seeping through.

"Shit, Bella." I hissed "You've soaked through your panties, babe. You're a naughty girl, aren't you?" I licked at her skin below her navel as she moaned.

"I know. It's been like that for days, Edward. What are you going to do about it?" She taunted me as I licked down to her thigh.

I was momentarily stunned. Motherfuck, she was a vixen. And I was turning into a caveman.

I nipped at her inner thigh, licking my way up and pressing my nose into her. I found the smell of her arousal intoxicating. My hands went to her panties, wrapping the fabric around my fingers. I looked at Bella and she nodded. I pulled them off, throwing the offensive thing over my shoulder.

_Holy fuck_! She was exquisite. My fingers found their way to her dripping pink pussy. I teased and explored her folds while she writhed beneath me. I ran my thumb over her clit and she jumped.

"Easy, baby. I've got you. Is this good? Do you like this?" The noises Bella was making spurred me on.

"I'm going to put a finger in your pussy, Bella." I snarled, just before I did. I barely recognized myself, I'd never been so uninhibited. With Bella, though, it seemed to come naturally.

"Ahh…oh yess…" She cried. Bella had the sheet gripped tight in both hands.

"Fucking hell, babe. You are so tight." I added another finger, plunging them into her. I could only imagine what it would feel like with her wrapped around my cock.

Bella was grasping at the sheets with one hand and gripping my shoulder with the other. Her writhing and moaning had made my cock unbelievably hard. I pressed myself against the bed, looking for some relief.

"Edward, that feels so good. More…please." She begged.

I growled and added a third finger while pulling on her nipple. Bella cried out, sinking her nails into my skin. I stroked her clit with my thumb and felt her walls clench around my fingers.

"That's it, baby. Cum on my hand. Come on, Bella, cum for me." I ordered. I've never talked so dirty to a woman. I could tell she liked it. Hell, so did I.

"I want you to cum so I can lick it up, Bella." She cursed and screamed my name and came all over my hand. I shoved my tongue into her folds and sucked in her juices. I had to hold her down with my arms. I rammed my tongue into her pulsing pussy.

_Fuck me_ she tasted good. I worked her over with my mouth until she came a second time.

I kissed her folds and the crease where her hip met her thigh. Bella's body was trembling. I made my way back up her body, kissing and licking at her navel and then her tits.

I got to her face and gasped. She looked like an angel. She pulled me down, kissing me hard. Her tongue dominating mine. She pushed on my shoulders, wanting me to lie down.

I flipped us over, her hot, wet pussy was pressing on my stomach.

"Ungh, Bella." I groaned. "I can feel your pussy juice seeping onto my skin."

"It's all for you, baby. Help me get these off." She was tugging at my boxers.

Once they were off, Bella was straddling my knees, staring at me.

"Talk about being naughty. Look at this big, throbbing cock you've got here." She 'tsk'd' at me.

All I could do was stare at her, my mouth hanging open. _Fuck me, I've got a dirty little girl on my hands_.

"What are you going to do about it?" I choked out, using the words she uttered to me.

She smiled at me mischievously then lowered her head and licked me from the base of my cock to the tip.

"Shit! Fuck!" I yelled. I slammed my head into the pillow and looked down at her.

I watched my dick disappear into her mouth. The sight of her lips gliding up and down my cock made my eyes roll back.

I put my hands in her hair as she sucked on me. "yeah, oh…yes. Fuck, Bella." I gently pushed into her mouth and she hummed against me sending a shot of electricity along my spine. I was overwhelmed with the desire to taste her again. I briefly wondered what she would think, but, my Bella was a dirty girl.

"Babe, come here." I had to pull her off my cock. "I have got to taste you again. Swing around here" I helped her get into the position I wanted her in. When she figured out what I was doing, she moaned and wiggled her ass at me. I gave her a little slap. She moaned again. _Holy shit! _This girl is blowing my mind.

I bucked my hips at her face. "Go ahead, baby. Put my cock back into your hot little mouth." As soon as she had her lips on my dick, I shoved my tongue into her steaming pussy. I was squeezing and digging my fingers into her ass. We both were thrusting into each other's faces. I couldn't help but be even more turned on by the depravity of it all.

I sucked her clit into my mouth, biting gently. Bella moaned around my cock. Her teeth grazed me and I bucked, shoving my dick further down her throat. I wasn't going to last much longer. I pulled her down so she was sitting on my face, my tongue shoved into her hot core. I pinched and pulled on her clit with my fingers and moaned into her pussy. She was making me feel so good, I couldn't hold back the noises I was making.

"Bella. Baby, I'm going to cum." I was trying to warn her. She only sucked harder. I started sucking on her folds and clit, knowing she was close as well. She was crying out around my dick. That was all it took.

"Fuuuck!" I yelled out, thrusting into her mouth. She sucked me until I was done and collapsed on me. I pulled her around to cradle her into my chest, kissing her anywhere I could.

"Edward…that was…there are no words. Fucking incredible." was what she came up with.

"I'd have to agree, babe. That was…wow. I've never felt like that before. It's never been so good." I kissed her softly, yet firmly hoping to convey what I was feeling. I didn't have any words for it because I'd never felt this before.

I heard Bella's breathing even out after a few minutes. She was asleep. I held her tightly and kissed her forehead. _Damn, I loved this girl_. I thought as I fell asleep as well.

BPOV

I woke up to Edward staring at my mostly visible naked body. The sheet was draped around my hips. Our eyes met and after the things we'd done and said last night, my body still had the audacity to blush.

"What? You did the same thing to me the other night." Edward said, tickling me.

He stopped and all the playfulness went away. His hands went to my face, mine to his chest. The emotions I saw swimming in his eyes reflected what I was feeling. We kissed. Like, a Wesley and Buttercup kiss. I think I felt the earth move. Something had shifted.

We broke apart to the beeping of my phone alerting me to a text message.

"Who the hell would be texting me?" I grumbled. Alice?

"Alice must have got my number from Emmett. She says my suit is at the front door."

Edward jumped out of bed, threw his boxers on and ran out of the room.

"What the hell…?" I mumbled to the empty room.

He came back in with his hands behind his back and a huge grin on his face.

"You ready to get up, babe?" He asked sweetly.

"Edward, what's going on? What do you have behind your back?" I asked as I crawled out of bed.

He put one arm around my naked body and held the other over my head.

"Shower with me and I'll give this to you." He said softly before he kissed me. That kiss was so good, I forgot about what he was holding and quickly agreed to shower with him.

He very sensuously washed my body and my hair. He was a very thorough. I, of course, had to reciprocate. It was the most erotic and loving thing I'd ever experienced.

Unfortunately, the water started cooling and the rest of the family would be waiting. We dried each other off and went to get dressed.

"Oh, my swimming suit." I said out loud to myself. Edward stood in front of the bedroom door with some scraps of cloth dangling from his fingers. He had that huge grin on his face again.

"What is that?" I asked.

"This is the suit you are wearing today." Edward said smugly.

"Give it to me." I said holding out my hand, wiggling my fingers.

I went into the bathroom to put the suit on. It wasn't that bad. I was completely covered. Well, barely, but it would be fine. I put my hair into a clip and went to Edward.

He had his back to me, tying his shoes. I just stood and waited for him to see me. When he turned around, I couldn't read his expression. His brows were furrowed and his mouth was curved into a frown. I was getting ready to speak when he beat me to it.

"Fucking hell, Isabella." He groaned. "How in the hell am I supposed to take you out in that?"

My eyes widened, "What? What's wrong?" I said looking down at myself. I didn't see what he was seeing.

"Wrong? There is nothing wrong, Bella. You look fucking fantastic. If I take you out in that, I am going to be beating guys off of you all day! Me and my big fucking mouth." He had moved in to put his arms around me, kissing my neck.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, pulling back to see his face.

"I asked Alice to make sure she gave you a bikini." He confessed.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to defend my honor. All day." I said tapping him on the nose and prancing out of the bedroom. I looked over my shoulder at him. He was standing there, mouth open, eyes wide, I had to laugh.

"Come on, Edward. We've got to get moving!" I yelled. I made coffee and pulled out the few muffins I had set aside from the other day.

He came out looking all pouty and sad. "Can you at least put something on over it?" He whined.

"Of course I'm wearing something over it." His pout turned into a smile. "But, I'm not wearing something over it in the water."

Edward snaked his arms around me from behind and licked behind my ear. "Maybe we could postpone and I'll keep you here." He suggested. If he had more time to convince me, I may have caved. As it happened though, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I said laughing.

"Hey, you guys ready? Oh…" Jasper stopped talking when he saw us wrapped around each other. Alice just smiled.

"Yeah, we're ready. Go throw some clothes on over that thing, Isabella." Edward growled, patting my ass. I did as he asked. We grabbed the bag I had ready and gathered at my car.

I gave Edward the keys and the four of us got into my car. Emmett and Rosalie followed us in her truck.

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**A/N: Well? Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: Everyone ready for the water park? Warm weather and a water park sound great right about now...Oh yeah-a little lemony goodness for you, too. **

**Thanks to everyone reading and/or reviewing!**

**With Or Without You by xXKiwiCullenXx is winding down-go check it out if you haven't!**

**SM owns Twilight**

**Rated M for language and lemons**

**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 18-The Water Park

BPOV

After we got on the road, we cranked the radio and sang along with the music. Edward and Rose kept passing each other, just playing around.

"Damn, Bella! I love this car," He yelled over the radio as he passed Rose once more.

When we arrived at the park there weren't many cars in the parking lot.

Edward bought our wristbands and led me to the locker area. He pulled me to him by the belt loops on my shorts.

"Can I help you with something Dr. Cullen?" I asked batting me eyelashes.

"Yes, you can." He sucked on my bottom lip before thrusting his tongue into my mouth. We kissed roughly for a moment until he broke away. "Shit, I'm sorry Bella. I just can't keep my hands off of you," he said, letting me go.

"Edward, it's okay." I put my hand to his cheek. "I love that you want to touch me all the time." I kissed his lips once more.

He wrapped his arm around my neck and held me, kissing the top of my head.

"Let's get this stuff in the locker," he said as everyone else joined us. I grabbed my sunglasses and sun block.

"Edward? Would you put some on my back?" I waved the tube at him.

He snorted. "Like you have to ask?" He grabbed it out of my hand and covered my back and shoulders with it. I went to take it from him so I could do my front. He held it up and shook his head.

"Fine. Go ahead." I relented. He was a grinning fool. Edward made sure that my chest was well protected from the sun.

When we were all slathered in sun block, we hit the park. There weren't many people here yet due to it being early still as well as being a weekday.

We spent the first part of the day riding all the big slides. There were single person tubes, multi-person rafts, and some where you just went down the slide without anything. We had a blast.

Emmett suggested we take a break for lunch. We picked a kiosk that sold pizza and found a table in the shade to eat. We laughed about some of the rides we'd been on.

Everyone was relaxed and smiling. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had so much fun.

Emmett said he wanted to go back on one of the slides. Most of us groaned.

"No Em, no more slides. At least not right now," Rose said.

"Let's get in the lazy river. You just sit in a tube and float along where the water takes you," Alice suggested.

"We can get in the wave pool, too," Jasper added.

"Vote!" I offered. "Raise your hand for the lazy river." I raised my hand, along with Edward, Alice and Rose.

"Lazy river first, wave pool second," Rose declared. We gathered up our trash and headed to the lazy river.

We all got into our tubes and started floating with the current. Edward grabbed a hold of my hand and laced his fingers with mine. We floated along for a while, just basking in the sun, enjoying just being with each other.

I laid there floating along with my eyes closed until I felt someone grab my other arm. I opened my eyes to Alice hooking her arm around mine. She had her other arm linked with Jasper's.

We caught up to Em and Rose, making a six person chain. Emmett and Jasper kicked and splashed their way around to link up and make a circle. Everyone was staring at us while we laughed.

There weren't many people in the wave pool, so we all got a little rowdy. We played around, splashing an dunking each other. Emmett dunked me and as I came up, a wave crashed into me. I came up sputtering and coughing.

"Babe, are you okay?" Edward had me in his arms, holding out of the water.

I coughed a couple more times before I was able to speak.

"I'm okay, just…need to…catch…my breath." I was still gasping for air.

"I've got you, baby. Just relax. Deep, slow breaths, Bella." Edward whispered in my ear, stoking my hair and kissing my temple.

I finally caught my breath and settled down.

"Thanks, Edward. I'm better now." I said smiling, then kissing his cheek.

"Are you really okay now?" I nodded. "Good." He moved his head down to me, kissing me slow and firm.

He stood up looking at me then grabbed my hands, twisting some, flipping me onto his back. He wrapped my arms around his neck and started swimming.

I kissed and nipped at the back of his neck, earning myself a caress and squeeze on my upper thigh.

We moved around in the shallower area of the pool, touching and kissing.

He moved to the side of the pool, removing me from his back. He brought me in front of him as he leaned against the side. We were deep enough that the water was just below his chest.

I felt his hands on the back of my thighs, gripping them and pulling slightly. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck.

"That's better," he whispered in my ear as he began his assault of my neck. I gently scratched at the base of his neck, squirming some as he licked and kissed behind my ear.

"Uuhh…," I moaned lightly as he gently rocked his hips against me. His hands were stroking my thighs.

"Edward…." I whined quietly, wanting more, knowing I wouldn't get it here.

"Later, babe," he sighed against my lips, kissing me lightly then pulling back some.

"Hey, lovebirds, keep it PG-13!" Emmett cackled. Everyone gathered around us. "you guys ready to hit the slides again?" Emmett's eyes were wide with excitement. How could you resist that?

We all agreed to go on a couple more before leaving. Alice and Jasper rode back with Em and Rose.

"Did you have a good time today?" Edward asked me, starting the car.

"Yeah, I really did. I can't believe I've never been before. Thank you," I said leaning over the console to kiss him. I licked his lip and felt his tongue wrap around mine. His hand wrapped around my neck holding me to him. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes before pulling away.

"You are more than welcome, babe." he pulled out onto the road and headed for home.

We turned on some soft music and that's the last thing I remembered before Edward woke me.

EPOV

Bella settled into the seat and quickly fell asleep. I was happy that she had such a good time. I did, too. I glanced over at her. She looked so serene and so fucking beautiful. I plucked her hand off her leg and held it gently in mine.

I had fallen hard for this girl. The depth of my feelings astounded me. I could not see my life without her in it. I could see her involved in every aspect of my life; work, family. I loved everything about her. We had similar interests and tastes. I looked down at our hands, her's so much smaller than mine. But they fit together perfectly. _We_ fit each other.

I laid her hand back on her thigh, freeing mine to downshift. We were close to the exit for Bender. It didn't take as long to get home because for one, we weren't screwing around with Em and Rose and two, I was driving faster. I loved this car. It was fast and sleek and powerful. The fact that Bella chose this car kind of turned me on, too.

I turned into the driveway and Bella stirred a little. Pulling up to the cabin, I saw Rose's truck.

"Baby, we're home," I said quietly. "Bella…sweetie, you need to wake up." I brushed the back of my fingers across her cheek and her eyes fluttered open. "There you are. We're home."

"Oh." She looked around. "I fell asleep. I'm sorry."

"Perfectly fine, babe. Come on let's get inside." I unbuckled her first, then myself. I got around the car and held the door as she got out. I took hold of her hand and we went in the cabin.

Rose and Emmett were nowhere in sight. Bella grabbed two water bottles out of the fridge, handing me one as my phone rang.

"Hey Alice, what's up?" I mouthed a thank you to Bella and she blew me a kiss before drinking her water.

"Do you guys want to get pizza and watch movies tonight?" Alice asked.

"Babe, how does pizza and movies sound?"

"That sounds great. I'm starving." She had a big smile on her face. "No green peppers!" she yelled as I went to answer Alice.

"Did you hear that? Okay. Bring beer, too." I told her to grab some movies from my room as well as whatever she was bringing. "Order from the diner, not the market. Those were really awful the last time. Okay, see you then."

"What was awful?" Bella asked as she stopped to stand in front of me.

I put my hands on her hips. "The market's deli started selling pizza a while back and they suck. The diner has great pizza." I said kissing her below her throat. "It will be about an hour and I'd like to take a shower."

"Well, you are in luck. I happen to have a very nice shower right down the hall. Do you have clothes?"

"I'll text Alice." I asked Alice to bring me down a t-shirt and pajama pants.

Bella and I walked down the hall to her room. I closed and locked the door behind me.

Bella had her back to me, peeling off her t-shirt. I moved up behind her, taking the shirt out of her hands and dropping it to the floor.

I reached around to the snap on her shorts, unsnapped it and lowered her zipper half way. I pulled the bottom string of her bikini top, placing a wet open mouthed kiss between her shoulders. Bella shivered.

I moved her hair over one shoulder and gave her another wet kiss on the one I exposed. I heard her moan softly. Pulling the top string of her bikini, I watched it fall to the floor.

Reaching around her again, I cupped both of her breasts, squeezing gently. Bella leaned back, resting against my chest. I ran my thumbs over her nipples, gaining a louder moan. She rubbed her ass against my cock. I moved to sit on the bed, pulling her with me to stand in front of me.

I licked a line on her skin between her tits before taking a nipple into my mouth. I alternately licked, flicked and sucked the one in my mouth while pulling and pinching the one in my hand.

"Ahh. Oh, Ed…uhh mmm, yes…feels so…good," Bella moaned.

"Fucking hell, babe. You are so sexy." I said, removing my lips from her beautiful breast. "Come here." I pulled her down to my lap. She was half on me and half on the bed, my arm around her holding her up.

She pulled my head to her, kissing me fiercely. I unzipped her shorts and pulled them off. I laid her back onto the bed, her legs still draped over my lap.

"Bella, you have luscious tits," I told her, licking the one that hadn't been in my mouth.

I ran a hand down to her bikini bottoms, tracing the edges with my finger. Her hips jumped at the contact.

I pressed my hand against her pussy. "Damn, Bella, the heat coming off of you is incredible." I pushed my fingers against the heat. "And you're soaked, too," I growled.

Bella was squirming beneath me, so I pulled the bottoms off and ran my fingers along her folds. _Fuck me_. Her arousal was intoxicating. I scooted out from under her, dropping to my knees on the floor.

Bella picked her head up to look at me and I heard her breath hitch.

"Lay back, baby. Enjoy this." I spread her legs taking in the sight before me. "Holy shit. Fucking breathtaking," I said just loud enough that she may have heard me. I leaned in and licked one long lick, stopping to suck her clit. Bella cried out.

"Shh, we're not alone, babe," I reminded her.

I dove back in, thrusting my tongue into her core. I had an arm across her hips and a hand kneading her tits. I licked and sucked her, nuzzling her clit with my nose. I was so hard and turned on, I found myself thrusting against the side of the bed.

"Babe, I can feel it, let go. Cum for me Bella. Cum for me so I can drink it up." I bit down on her clit and she came all over my face. I was making my own noises, moaning as I drank her in.

As she settled down, I got up and placed myself between her legs. I needed to get off in a big way. I didn't want our first time to be a result of this impromptu make-out session. I kissed her tits then captured her lips, leaving a searing kiss. I pressed my cock against her grinding my hips. She rocked her hips and hissed.

The fabric of my trunks rubbing on her sensitive skin was probably not a good idea. I stripped them off, looking at her for approval.

"I'm just going to rub my cock through your hot…wet folds, baby. Is that okay?" I whispered.

"Uh-huh." she nodded. Bella wrapped her hands around my biceps.

"Shit! Bella…so warm…wet…fuck!" My dick ran through her wetness, gliding back and forth. I lowered my mouth to her tit, sucking and licking her nipple.

"Your nipples are so plump. Like juicy berries." I flicked it again, the tip of my dick hit her clit and she cried out, climaxing again. I covered her mouth with mine, ravishing her mouth.

"Baby, oh..uh..yes…ahh." I came hard, spewing onto her stomach. I fell to the bed next to her, my arm draped over her above her tits.

"Fuck, Edward," she whispered, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, I know." I panted. "Stay here." I kissed her and went to the bathroom. I turned the shower on and brought a wash cloth out to wipe her off.

"Come baby," I held my hand out to her.

"I did. Twice." she chuckled, taking my hand. "It was wonderful. Thank you." she stood and kissed me.

I washed Bella's hair, massaging her scalp. _Shit!_ I had her moaning again. I quickly washed my own hair while she washed me. After I rinsed, I washed her body and we got out. I wasn't sure how long we had taken, but I was pretty sure an hour was close to being up.

"I'll go see if Alice is here," Bella said, after pulling on some lounge pants and a t-shirt.

She came back with a pair of shorts.

"You can wear these until she gets here. There Em's." she said tossing them to me. I put them on along with the t-shirt I'd worn earlier.

Bella and I went out to the kitchen as Jasper and Alice came through the door. She handed me a duffel while Jasper sat the food and beer on the counter.

"Thanks, sis." I kissed the top of her head and went to change. When I came back out, everything had been moved out to the living room.

Emmett and Rose were sitting on one end of the sofa, Alice was on the other end with Jasper on the floor in front of her. Everyone was digging into the pizza. Bella handed me a beer and a plate with a few slices on it. I took a seat in the over sized chair. Bella sat on the floor in front of me, leaning against the chair, my legs on either side of her.

"Did anyone talk to Mom and Dad?" I asked no one in particular.

"Mom said everything was fine and for us to enjoy the rest of the evening. She said she'd call if anything came up." Alice offered.

"Now, we've got all three 'Jason Bourne' movies, 'The Hangover', 'Iron man', 'Zombieland'…" Alice rattled off the titles she brought.

"Zombieland!" Everyone shouted at once. Jasper grabbed it off the table and started the movie.

We settled in to watch the movie, finishing our pizza. I pulled Bella up to sit across my lap when she was done with hers. We laughed and 'eww'd' throughout the movie and when it was over, most of us were yawning.

"Jasper, Alice? You can stay here if you want, if you don't mind the couch." Bella offered. The couch was wide enough for them both, especially with Alice being so small.

Bella and I gathered everyone's plates and empty's, while Emmett brought in the pizza boxes, putting the leftovers in the fridge. He and Rose said goodnight and retreated to his room.

Bella got a couple of blankets from the hall closet for Jazz and Alice.

"Night guys, see you in the morning." Bella called out to them, heading to her room with me in tow.

We washed up and brushed our teeth before getting into bed. Bella snuggled up to me, laying her head on my chest, my arm around her shoulders.

We kissed languidly for a few minutes before letting sleep take us into a peaceful and comfortable slumber.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think...**


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Guess what? The time is finally here...the deed is about to be done...LOL**

**Kari, thanks for all your help and input-love ya girl!**

**SM owns Twilight**

**Rated MMMM for language and lemons**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 19-Finally

EPOV

Over the next few days, Bella helped out in the rehab barn. Rose told me that Bella was a natural. It didn't surprise me. She has such a giving and sympathetic way about her. That is exactly what a lot of these animals needed.

Mom had Bella help her with the adoption questionnaire and felt pretty good about the final form they came up with. Bella put it up on our website so potential adopters could fill it out and send it back via e-mail.

My days were spent taking care of the animals in the barn. The cat with the kittens was doing great. Her kittens were strong and getting healthier everyday. The horse with the hoof infection was much better. Jasper took him out to the stables to see how he'd act around other horses. He did fine, so Jazz left him out there.

Alice wanted to work with Zeke, so I muzzled him and took him over. One thing that was immediately noticeable was he was much more comfortable around women. A man had probably been his abuser.

The girls worked with him, taking it slowly. He almost seemed like a different dog around them. He was a little better with me afterward, but was still growling a bit.

Mrs. Masen's cat needed a follow-up, so I ran over to see her. I stopped in town and bought Bella a bouquet of wildflowers. We hadn't spent much time together during the past couple of days but, our nights were spent together.

I hadn't made love to Bella yet. It wasn't anything we'd discussed. Things just didn't progress to that point. Yet. Well, almost. The closest we'd come was that day after we got back from the water park. It was pretty damn close. I was ready, though. More than ready. I was pretty sure she was, too.

XX XX

It was Friday afternoon and I was just finishing up in the barn when Jasper approached me.

"Hey Ed." Jasper was the only one who could get away with calling me that.

"What's up Jazz?" I said looking up from the pile of charts in front of me.

"Ali wants to go out tonight. Nothing major, just Dooley's in town. What do you think?"

"I'll ask Bella. Do you know where she is?" I hadn't seen her in a couple of hours. Jasper laughed.

"What?" I had no idea what I'd said that was funny.

"I thought you two had homing beacons or something. It's like you always know where each other is. You two kind of orbit around each other." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Yeah, well, isn't it like that with you and Alice?" I was in new territory, I had no idea if what we shared was different from other people's relationships.

"Kind of, but you and Bella seem so much more in tune with each other. It's pretty interesting to watch." Jasper chuckled.

"Jazz, I think I'm in love with her." I confessed quietly.

"I figured. It's written all over both your faces." I looked up at him. "Don't look so surprised, Ed. Everyone sees it. I heard your parents talking about it yesterday."

"Huh. Shit, Jazz. Do you think she'd move here?" I know I was jumping ahead a bit, but I couldn't think about her leaving, especially after I tell her.

"I don't know, man. Maybe you should tell her first and go from there?" he suggested.

"Of course, you're right." I was lost in thought for a moment. "I'll ask her about going out tonight." I said finally.

"She's up at the house with your mom, by the way. See you later." Jasper slapped the desk before walking out.

I filed the charts and headed up to the house. I found Bella in the kitchen with my mom.

"Edward. Are you finished up for the day?" Mom asked.

"Yes, all done." I leaned down kissing my mother's cheek. "What are you two up to?" I moved to stand behind Bella. I placed my hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"Girl talk," was the only answer I was given. "I placed an order for fried chicken at the diner. Would you mind picking it up in about thirty minutes?" Mom asked me.

"Sure. Bella, Alice wants to go up to Dooley's tonight. It's a local bar. Pool tables, darts, juke box, nothing special, but it's usually fun. Want to go?" I asked squeezing her shoulders lightly.

"That sounds like fun. I can wear jeans, right?" She tilted her head back to look up at me.

"Yeah. Very casual." I told her. "We'll probably head up there around eight."

"Okay, I'll go get ready now, then come back to help get the rest of dinner ready," she said, standing up. "Esme, I'll be back in a bit to help."

"Alright. Thank you, dear." Mom smiled.

"Hey, you and dad should come with us tonight." I suggested.

"Maybe we will, I'll talk to your father."

I walked Bella out to my truck and drove back to the cabin. I pulled the flowers out from the back seat and handed them to her.

"Oh, they're so beautiful." She kissed me. "Thank you. Come on." She hopped out of the truck and went inside. I followed close behind. Bella found a pitcher and filled it with water. After she had the flowers arranged to her liking, she moved to stand in front of the stool I was sitting on.

"It's been a long time since someone has given me flowers." She looked sad. "My parents were the last ones to give me flowers. For graduation," she added. She was lost in thought for a moment. When she raised her eyes back to mine, her demeanor had improved.

"I love them. Wildflowers are a favorite of mine. Thank you, again." She put her arms around my neck, kissing me passionately. I pulled her into me as close as I could get her. I ran my hands down her back, cupping her ass and squeezing gently.

We both moaned into each other's mouth, her fingers wrapped tightly in my hair.

I moved my lips to her neck, licking my way to her collarbone. I sucked lightly on the spot I loved, earning another moan from Bella.

"Edward? Baby, you need to leave soon," she reminded me.

I rested my forehead against her shoulder. "Yeah, I do." I sighed. Picking my head up, I kissed her lightly and loosened my grip on her.

"Okay, you go get the food. I'm going to shower and change. I'll meet you back up at the house later." She gave me a quick kiss on the lips and pulled away.

"Alright, I'll see you in a little while, babe." I kissed her again and patted her ass before walking out and getting in my truck. Damn. I couldn't keep my hands off her ass!

When I got back with the chicken, I ran upstairs to shower and change. I put on a pair of jeans and a dark blue button down shirt. I pulled on the dress boots Alice had gotten me for my birthday a couple of months ago.

When I got to the kitchen, Bella was mashing potatoes and mom was making gravy. I grabbed some plates off the counter to help Alice set the table. When Bella was done, I took the potatoes and put them on the table.

"So, are you and Mom joining us later?" I asked my dad.

"Yes, I think we will," he told me. He and my mother shared a smile.

We finished eating and cleaned up the dishes. Those of us that were ready hung out in the living room to wait until everyone else was ready.

We drove separately, knowing we all probably wouldn't be leaving at the same time.

There was a decent crowd when we arrived. We were able to find a large table in the back that accommodated us all. Jasper and dad grabbed a pool table. I told Bella my drink order and went over to play a game of pool.

Bella brought me my jack and coke, I kissed her and watched her walk back to the girls. They were starting a game of darts. I watched as she interacted with the women in my family. She seemed very comfortable with them as they laughed and joked around.

There was a small crowd that had gathered around them as the night progressed. Mostly men. I heard a loud cheer from the crowd and watched some guy approach Bella, getting too close for my comfort. I took a closer look and saw that it was Jake. _Motherfucker. _I quickly made my way over to her.

"Come on. Just one dance Bella, I promise you wont regret it." I heard as I got to Bella.

Coming up behind her, I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her neck, eyeballing Jake the whole time. Yeah, I knew what I was doing. _Staking out my territory._

"Hey Jake. What's up?" I asked sternly.

"Nothing much. Feeling threatened, Cullen?" _Fucking smartass._

"Bella's got a good arm on her. I was just admiring her, uh, dart throwing skills," he smiled. _Yeah, right._

He turned and put his hand on Bella's arm. "And I was trying to get her to dance with me," he said, trying to be all suave and smooth and shit. I saw red.

Bella shook off his hand and took a step closer to him, looking pissed as hell.

"First of all, Edward has nothing to feel threatened about. He is MINE just like I am HIS. And second, I wouldn't dance with you if you were the last man on earth!" Bella yelled at him.

I was slightly taken aback. I hadn't expected Bella to go off on Jake. I forget sometimes that she's a big city girl. A fucking hot as hell big city girl!

I glanced around and noticed that we had an audience. Not only my family and the crowd that had gathered around the dart area, but a table full of women that were eye fucking me, as well. I saw Bella smirk in their direction and chuckled to myself. Seems I'm not the only one with a possessive streak.

I ran my hand up the side of her neck and turned her head to mine. I kissed her long and hard, making sure everyone got an eye full. It kind of backfired on me. Now I was ready to throw her down on a table and have my way with her!

I took a deep breath and looked around. I think everyone got the message. MINE.

"Babe, you want to play some pool with me?" I said loud enough for Jake to hear.

She turned in my arms and I moved my hands to rest low on her hips. Bella glanced over her shoulder at Jake, she tangled her fingers in my hair and kissed me.

"Sure, we're almost done here. I'll be over in a few minutes." She kissed me hard. I could taste the tequila on her tongue.

"Okay. I'll see you in a few." I gave her a smack on her ass, looking over her head at the fucker. I got some satisfaction from the look of defeat on his face. I kissed the top of her head and stepped over to Jake. He wanted my girl. Not a fucking chance.

"Listen, motherfucker. I've tried to be nice about this but you seriously need to get a fucking clue! Bella. Is. MINE. If you really want me to kick your ass, then keep it up. Otherwise, get the fuck out of here." I stabbed my finger into his chest as I spoke the last part.

"Yeah, whatever Cullen." Jake smirked at me and slinked off to the other side of the bar. I turned and walked back to the pool table.

"Damn, Edward. You should've just pissed on her," Jasper laughed. Emmett and Dad joined in. "Yeah, that was quite a display you put on over there!" Emmett added.

"Fuck off, all of you. You would've done the same damn thing." I threw back the rest of my drink.

"Bella's going to come over in a minute, anyone want to play us?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I'll go get Rosie." Emmett said, still laughing as he walked towards the girls.

"I'm going to go dance with your mother." Dad put his cue stick away and went to get mom.

"Jazz?" I looked at him for his answer.

"We'll play the winner." He said as the waitress came by. He ordered six beers and six tequila shots. The girls arrived with Emmett as I racked up the balls.

We drank our shots and got the game started. As the play progressed, I got the idea that Bella was teasing me. I wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not.

She would innocently rub against me as she walked past me. Once, she leaned over the table right in front of me, showing off her perfect ass. On her next turn, she did it again, but was across the table from me. When she leaned over, her tits were spilling out of her low cut blouse. _Fucking hell, woman._

I was barely keeping it together. My nerve endings were tingling and I shut out everything but her. When she bent over to pick up the chalk that had fallen to the floor, I lost it.

"You win." I said to Emmett, handing my stick to Jasper. He looked at me like 'what the fuck?' I stalked over to Bella, gently took her stick and handed it to Alice. I grabbed Bella's hand and led her to the dance floor. I was quiet the entire time.

"Um, Edward? Are you okay?" Bella asked, her brown eyes wide and all innocent like.

I pulled her to me bringing the hand I was holding to my chest. My other arm at the small of her back, holding her impossibly close.

"No, Bella. I am not okay," I growled in her ear. "You've been teasing me. And I can't take it anymore." I told her as I sucked on her earlobe. I felt her shudder in my arms.

"Did you do it on purpose? Or did you really not know?" I breathed in her ear. I dropped her hand to run mine over her body.

"Uh…I…uh," she stuttered as my mouth ran over her neck.

"Doesn't matter. I've got you now. I may have to punish you for that little stunt." I gripped her tighter to me. "Between teasing me and telling Jake off, I'm about ready to explode and leave denim shrapnel all over this bar."

I brought her face up and kissed her as she moaned in my mouth. I pulled back, not wanting to give everyone a show. We danced, moving slowly for a few minutes.

"Do you want to go, babe?" I gently asked. Bella was trembling in my arms.

"Yes, let's go." Bella was flushed and her breathing was a little erratic.

I led her towards the door, getting Jazz and Em's attention and gave a short wave. They smiled and waved back. As we walked to the exit, my eyes found Jake. He had been watching us all night. His eyes narrowed a bit and he shook his head.

_That's right, she's going home with me, fucker._

I pressed Bella against the passenger door of her car, both hands in her hair, and kissed the hell out of her. I pulled back, opened her door and let her get in. I took a couple of deep breaths before getting in and starting the engine. I turned some music on and drove home with my hand on Bella's thigh.

We pulled up to the cabin and I shot out of the car. I opened her door and scooped her up, closing the car door with my hip.

Bella reached down and opened the cabin door. I shut it with my foot and walked straight down the hallway. I put her down in the middle of the room and walked back to shut and lock the bedroom door.

I found her I-pod and scanned through until I found some soft music. I turned the bathroom light on and closed the door most of the way, leaving a small amount of light to filter in.

My body was trembling with anticipation as I went back to Bella. I kissed her slowly, plunging my tongue into her mouth as deep as I could. I took a step back, running my hands along her arms.

I unbuttoned her blouse and spread it open. Her breasts were encased in a dark purple, lacy, barely there bra. I cupped them in my hands, passing my thumbs over her nipples. I bent down and kissed them both through the fabric.

"Perfect," I whispered.

Bella shrugged out of her shirt and kicked off her shoes. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled my boots off. I reached out grabbing her hand and pulled her to me. I unfastened her jeans and slid the zipper down. Reaching around her, I palmed her ass.

"Do you know how fantastic these jeans look on you? They make your ass look positively bitable." I gave her a light smack with my hand and a wet kiss between her tits.

"Take them off." I unbuttoned my shirt as she shimmied out of her jeans. I unbuttoned my own jeans, unzipping them most of the way. My cock breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lay on your stomach." I pointed at the bed. As Bella situated herself onto the bed, I pulled a condom out of my pocket and set it on the bedside table.

I pulled her purple panties down her legs and kissed both ankles. Alternating sides, I placed open mouthed, wet kisses up her legs pausing to lick the back of her knees.

When my kissing reached her ass, I stroked both cheeks, kneading them. I heard Bella make some muffled noises. I moved the pillow that was next to her face.

"Let me hear you, Bella, all your whimpers and moans. I love hearing what I do to you."

I lowered my lips to feast on Bella's luscious ass. I gently bit her, kissing and sucking after. I continued this to the point where her ass met her thigh. Then I licked her slit. Bella flinched.

"Easy, baby." I moved my hands up her torso, unlatching her bra. I kissed and licked from the base of her spine to her neck.

"Ahh…oh" Bella continued with her little noises. Each one made my cock twitch.

I turned Bella over to her back, pulling her bra from her arms. I moved back to sit between her feet.

"Beautiful," I whispered. I started kissing her ankles, much the same way I had before. When I reached her core, I skimmed over it to her navel. I dipped my tongue in.

I moved up to her delectable tits and ravished them both with my mouth and hands. I finally found my way to Bella's pouty lips and sucked on the bottom one. She pulled me down so our chests were flush. Our mouths were fused, our tongues probing. Bella pulled her lips from mine.

"Edward, I want you. Make love to me. Please." Bella whimpered.

"Oh, god Bella. I want you so fucking bad." I kissed her cheeks then her lips and sat up.

I hopped off the bed and stripped my clothes off. I snatched the condom up and got on the bed between Bella's legs. Sitting back on my knees, I could see her pussy glistening and swollen with need.

I rolled the condom on and lowered myself to her. I debated whether or not I should tell her what I'd been feeling all day. It was almost bursting out of me. I had to tell her. I put my mouth next to her ear.

"Bella, I love you," I said just above a whisper.

I felt the sound as it left her body. It wasn't loud, but it was strong. It was just a noise, a cry almost. I steeled myself for rejection, thinking I fucked up telling her.

"Oh, Edward," she whispered. "I…I love you, too." she cried.

I pulled my face back to see her. She was smiling and crying.

"Don't cry, beautiful girl." I kissed her tears.

"Edward, make love to me."

Looking her in the eyes, I kissed her with all the emotion I was feeling.

I moved down to her chest, taking a nipple into my mouth and reached down to her pussy with my fingers. I stroked her folds, spreading around her wetness. I guided the tip of my dick to her entrance and pushed in slowly.

"Ungh, you're so warm and wet…" I wanted to ram myself into her, but didn't. I kissed her and slowly pushed in further.

"Ahh…" Bella moaned.

After I was all the way in, I hesitated, letting us both adjust. Bella moved her hips allowing me to sink deeper into her.

"Fuck, Bella. You are so tight. You feel so good," I grunted. I pulled out most of the way before plunging back in. Bella responded, rolling her hips with mine.

I got to my knees and grabbed her thighs right below her ass and thrust into her.

"Ohh!" Bella screamed. "Edward!"

"Fuck…unh…unh." I moaned with each thrust. I lowered her legs and bent down to capture her lips. I could feel her walls tightening around my cock.

"More Edward. Harder,'" she pleaded. I wrapped her legs around my waist and pumped into her harder.

"I love you, Bella. Cum for me, baby. Ahh, I can feel your pussy squeezing my cock. Let go, babe." I put a hand under her lower back and lifted her a little, thrusting into her with abandon. I knew I was hitting a new spot, because her moaning increased.

"I can't hold on much longer, Bella." Just as the words left my mouth she screamed my name while her body convulsed around me.

"Bella…Bella, unh…" My body stiffened and I actually saw stars. My own body shuddered with my release and I collapsed onto my elbows. Bella was kissing my face and stroking my hair, whispering her love against my skin.

We held each other, catching our breath and calming down. I peeled off the condom and wrapped it in a couple tissues from the bedside table. I maneuvered us around to bring the blankets over us.

"Edward, that was…incredible," she said quietly.

"It was, sweetheart."

I wrapped Bella up in my arms, kissing her and whispering my love. She kissed my chest then my jaw and whispered the same to me. I felt her body relax and her breathing even out. I thanked God and anyone else remotely responsible for bringing Bella into my life before setting the alarm on my phone and closing my eyes, letting sleep take me.

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**A/N: Let me know...and thanks for reading.**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: You know that the good times had to end, right? Thanks to everyone reading/reviewing/alerting-I appreciate it all.**

**Go give my girl some love on With Or Without You (xXKiwiCullenXx) She is recovering from a complicated sinus infection and could use it!**

**SM owns Twilight**

**Rated M for language and lemons**

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**Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 20-Time To Run

EPOV

I woke to someone shaking me. It wasn't a soft, petite hand. It was large and rough.

My eyes opened to Emmett's face hovering over me.

"Edward, wake up," Emmett whispered.

"What the hell, Emmett?" Why was he waking me up? I looked down at Bella making sure she was not disturbed and that she was covered.

"Dude, I need to talk to you. Don't wake Bella. Get something on your ass and come out to the kitchen." Emmett left the room.

I could only imagine what he was upset about. Me being with Bella? Did he know we made love? Shit!

Kissing Bella's hair, I scooted out from under her and pulled up the blanket to keep her warm. I found my jeans and pulled them on, leaving the button undone. I quietly closed the bedroom door and went out to find Emmett.

"Emmett, what's going on?" I asked when I found him in the kitchen. I heard the front door and Jasper entered the room.

"I got a call from my dad's friend as we were leaving the bar."

"And…" I prompted him.

"He said that he got some information that someone is on their way out here. They don't know where we are exactly, but the general area. Something about tracing a ping off a cell tower. Apparently, they were watching Tyler. They must have known that I called him, I don't know. I don't want to take the chance on calling him again."

"Who's coming? How many?" I asked.

"Not sure. He said he had a couple more contacts he needed to see and would call back in the morning. I should get Bella and leave."

"Um, I don't want to overstep my bounds here, but, I don't want Bella going anywhere." Emmett just looked at me for a moment then whispered 'holy shit'.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" This actually came out as a statement, not a question.

I thought about how to tell him for a moment then decided to just own it.

"Yes I am." I said honestly. Emmett and I just stared at each other.

"May I make a suggestion?" Jasper spoke for the first time since joining us. Emmett and I just looked at him. "We need to get everyone together and let them know. Then we need to come up with a plan."

"Jasper is right. We can't make rash decisions, and Bella needs to be involved. I won't make a decision without speaking to her about it, and I don't think you should either." I felt I needed to explain myself.

"I know you're her brother and have been looking out for her for a while. But, I love her, Emmett. I feel very protective of her. And I will stay with her until she sends me away." I let my declaration sink in.

"I can respect that. You know though, if you fuck up? I WILL kick your ass." I knew he spoke the truth.

"I think we all need to go to sleep and tackle this in the morning. It's only a few hours away. We'll need all the rest we can get." You would've thought Jasper had been in the military or something with the way he talked.

x x x x

I slid my jeans off and slipped back into bed. Bella must have felt me because she rolled over and draped herself over me. I felt her breasts rub against me as she settled into my side. It sent a shiver through my body.

She threw a leg over mine, her core pressed on my thigh. I felt myself harden, and felt like an ass. We have this danger looming over our heads and I'm thinking about waking her up with my cock. I moved my leg slightly so she wasn't pressing so closely. I struggled, but was able to move my mind to the issue at hand.

I needed to come up with my own contingency plan. If I had to, I'd take Bella and run. We could go anywhere and just keep moving until it was safe to return. I moved that to the bottom of the idea list. I didn't think Bella would want to live like that.

I closed my eyes, trying to go back to sleep when a thought came to me from nowhere. The old cabin. We hadn't used it in years. It was north of here, basically in the middle of the wilderness.

Grandpa Cullen built it with his father. They had used it as a hunting cabin. It was updated, somewhat, about 30 years ago. Grandpa and dad added some wiring that would allow the cabin to have limited electricity with a generator. There was a pump at the sink that brought water in from a nearby stream. That was the extent of the updating.

It had been a while since anyone had used it, but we checked on it regularly. It had been built well so it should be in decent enough condition. With that thought, I let myself drift off to sleep.

Morning came quickly, but I was alert. The development from last night was in the forefront of my mind. Today was going to be chaotic, filled with strategy and planning. We would also need to take into consideration the animals in the barn. My mind was racing with everything that needed to be dealt with.

I looked down at Bella who still tucked into my side. The covers had slipped down some, exposing the top of her right breast. I ran my hand over her shoulder and down her arm. Her skin was luminous. Just looking at her, touching her; it calmed me.

I pressed my lips to Bella's head, pulling her closer. She stirred a little.

"Baby, it's time to wake up," I whispered.

"Mmmm. I'm too warm and comfy. I want to stay here," she mumbled.

"Me too, sweetie. But, I need to talk to you. There are some things we need to do today," I tried to coax her.

Bella picked up her head and turned in my arms. She moved so she was lying mostly on my chest.

"Good morning." She kissed my cheek.

"Good morning, babe. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm, yes I did. I had this wonderfully warm and gorgeous doctor lying next to me," she chuckled and started to run her hands over my chest enticingly.

"Bella," I sighed, stilling her hand. "As much as I would like to see where this will go, there really is something I need to talk to you about." She propped herself up on an elbow.

"What is it?" I saw the worry in her eyes.

"Your dad's friend called Emmett last night. One of his contacts told him that the mob knows that you're here and sent someone to find you and Emmett." I felt Bella start to tremble. I sat up and held her close.

"Babe, I WILL protect you. NO one will hurt you, I promise. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe." I grazed her forehead with my lips. "They don't know where you are exactly. Apparently, they were monitoring Tyler's phone and somehow traced it to a cell tower."

"What are we going to do? We've got to leave. Emmett and I have to go. We can't let them find us here. Your family will be in danger." She was frantic and trying to pull away from me.

"Hey, it's okay," I said trying to calm her. "Bella," I said louder. She was spiraling into a panic attack. "Look at me. You need to calm down." I held her face in my hands. "Deep breaths, Bella." I waited for her to settle before continuing. "We are going to meet up with everyone this morning and figure something out. We'll come up with a plan, okay?"

"Are you sure? We could go.." I cut her off with a kiss.

"You. Are not. Going. Anywhere. At least, not without me." Bella threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. I kissed her shoulder and moved my lips up her neck.

"I love you," I said before kissing her neck.

"I love you, Edward."

I pulled my head up to look at her and saw the love in her eyes. I pressed my lips to hers in a tender kiss that quickly grew to an intense level. We stayed wrapped up in each other for a few minutes until the need for air broke us apart.

"Let's get showered so we can meet everyone up at the house."

We chastely washed each other and dried off. I put the jeans on I had worn last night along with a t-shirt and waited for Bella to finish dressing. I didn't know if Emmett had slept here or at the house last night, but, either way, he was gone. I had Bella grab her laptop and we went to the house.

When we walked into the kitchen, Emmett was just finishing up telling everyone what was going on. I got some coffee for Bella and I and leaned against the counter to listen.

"…so, now I'm just waiting for him to call back." Emmett finished.

"We need to call Billy and have him get his boys together." Jasper said while looking at my father.

"I'll call Jared and Paul," I said as I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket.

Within a half an hour, we had set up a meeting with the guys who would be helping us. They would be here in an hour.

We all helped to throw a quick breakfast together, not that anyone felt much like eating.

"Dad, can I talk to you? Privately." I pointed in the direction of his office.

"What's up, Edward?" dad closed the door behind him.

"I was thinking about running Bella to Grandpa's cabin." I waited for him to respond.

"That might be a good idea. Let's see what kind of ideas everyone comes up with before you decide. I know you're on the verge of acting rashly in your attempt to protect Bella, but you need to keep a clear head right now." My father usually gave good advice.

"I know you're right, but if I don't like any of the ideas, that is what I'm doing," I said with conviction.

An hour later, everyone had shown up. Billy brought a few guys from the reservation. Jared and Paul were there; Dad, Emmett, Jasper and myself sat across from them. The girls sat together at the other table. Emmett's phone rang before we could get started. He shot me a knowing look and answered the phone.

"Yeah, what'd you find out? Uh-huh. Okay. Shit! Alright, thanks a lot, man." Emmett hung up and breathed a heavy sigh. Everyone's eyes were on him.

"Okay. So that was Jack and as far as he knows there are two hit men on their way here. He said they would probably have a couple of guys with them for back up. The two hit men are the same ones we saw. Marcus and Caius Volturi."

As soon as Bella heard it was the very men they saw in New York, she had her laptop searching for their pictures. I got up and went over to her. I put my hand on the back of her neck under her hair, stroking her skin with my thumb.

"Is that them?" I asked quietly as pictures filled the screen.

"Yeah." She scrolled through some pictures until she found a couple that were close enough and clear enough for everyone to be able to recognize them easily. I took the computer from her to pass around the table. One of the rez guys took note of the website so he could show the pictures to the ones who weren't here.

Dad and Billy confirmed that those were the men they found when they did their own research. Everyone studied the pictures for a moment and then the talk started. The ideas ranged from ludicrous to unfeasible. The best idea came from Jared. He suggested that we set up lookouts along the perimeter of the property, armed and ready.

I told Jasper my idea and he added to it and presented it to everyone.

"Ed is going to take Bella, Emmett and the girls up to his family's cabin. I suggest we set up the lookouts along that route, as well as the perimeter here. Everyone will be armed and equipped with radios or cell phones. If these dicks actually find out about the cabin, we'll have plenty of chances to stop them." Everyone agreed and talked amongst themselves, making plans.

"I'll place a call to my friend at the State Trooper's office. They need to be aware of what's going on, and we'll need the law on our side if they actually find us," Dad said.

"I'm not leaving," Emmett said. "I am not going to have all of you fighting here while I'm hiding out somewhere. As long as Bella and the girls are safe, then I'm good."

"I'm staying, too." Rose looked defiant. Emmett started to protest. She gave him a pointed look and he scowled, shaking his head.

Alice tried to argue. If Jasper was staying, so was she. Or so she thought.

"Absolutely not," was all Jazz had to say, ending the discussion before it even started. Alice furrowed her brows and pouted, but said nothing.

"Well, I guess we should start packing." Mom got up and headed to the house.

We quickly decided that Jared would come with me. I gave him the keys to my truck so he could start loading it.

The guys from the reservation left to coordinate with their men. I took Bella up to my room and pulled out a big duffel bag.

"I need you to pack clothes for both of us. At least enough for a few days. Make sure you pack for cooler temps. It can get cold at night. If you need anything of mine, feel free to pack it. I don't imagine you have many sweaters with you. Just put everything in this one bag. I've got to get out and help Jared load up. We're leaving as soon as we get it all loaded." I looked around the room, trying to see if anything would jump out at me that I may have forgotten.

"Okay. Is there anything else?" Bella looked a little anxious.

"No. Unless you think of something." I put my arms around her and kissed her forehead. "It'll be fine, Bella. I love you."

"I love you." Bella kissed my jaw and pulled away. "Okay, I got this. Get going." She shooed me away from her.

I grabbed a couple of shot guns and shells out of my closet and left the room. I quickly turned back to the door.

"Babe, just let me know when you go to your cabin. I should be out in the driveway." Just in case something happened before we left, I needed to know where she would be.

X X X X

Dad and Billy coordinated the men who would be guarding the perimeter. I ran into Mike as I came out of the barn.

"Dr. Cullen, what's going on?" He saw all the people running around and I'm sure he was confused.

"Nothing that I can go into right now. I need you to go feed and water the animals. Make sure their cages are secure. When you're done, call Seth and Jessica. None of you are to return here until someone calls you, is that clear?" He nodded. "Thanks Mike. Now, hurry and get done and come find me or Jasper to let us know you're leaving," I instructed.

Jared and I loaded the truck. Basically, it was all our camping gear. We loaded the generator next. Mom and Alice brought out a few boxes of food and some bottled water. Rose brought blankets. Bella found me and headed to pack her things. We just needed the clothing and we'd be ready to go. Jared must have called his mom because she brought him a bag over.

I went over to see if Bella was ready. I found her sitting on the bathroom floor crying. I sat next to her and pulled her into my lap.

"Bella. Baby, why are you crying?" I asked her softly. I was sure I knew, but I also needed her to tell me.

"All of these people and your family, we're upsetting their lives, putting them in danger. Em and I don't even know any of them. I feel awful that we're doing this to them." Bella hiccuped and cried harder.

I ran my hand over her back and rocked her a bit, trying to settle her down.

"Bella, it's okay. These people are our friends. They were told exactly what was going on. They know what they're getting into. They volunteered. Please don't be upset. If you still feel bad when it's over, you can throw them a big party or something." She snorted. That was what I was going for. I kissed her hair. "Now, are you packed?"

"Yes, I grabbed the emergency kit from my car, too."

"Hopefully we won't need that." I said as I tapped her thigh to let her know we were standing up.

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her with as much passion as I could muster. She twisted her fingers in my hair and kissed me right back. I slowed my lips and moved them over her jaw and up to her ear.

"I love you so much. Everything is going to be fine," I said quietly.

She nodded her head and kissed my cheek. "I love you so much, too." She quickly washed her face and said, "I'm ready."

I picked up the bag and noticed the shoes she was wearing.

"Uh, babe? Do you have any sturdier shoes with you?" Bella looked at her sneakers and then at me and shook her head.

"No?" she said it like a question. I laughed.

"What size shoe do you wear?" I put my hand to her back and pointed towards the door with the hand holding the bag.

"Seven."

"Okay. Hey, there should be a flashlight and extra batteries in the kitchen, can you go get them?" We already had a few but, an extra couldn't hurt.

I set the bag on the counter, unzipping it so Bella could put the flashlight in.

"Alright, let's hit it." I led Bella out the door and up to the truck.

Jared was stowing the girls' bags when we approached. I tossed him our bag.

Emmett came around the corner of the truck, picking Bella up in a big hug.

"Emmett, please be careful," Bella sniffled.

"I will. Nothing to worry about, we got this covered. I love you Bella-boo." Emmett kissed his sister.

"I love you, too Em." He turned to face me.

"I don't need to say the words, do I?" Emmett's tone was friendly but, with one arched eyebrow, he came through loud and clear.

"No. You know I won't let anything happen to her." I held my hand out to him. He shook it and clapped my back.

"Alice? Rose? Do either of you have an extra pair of boots that Bella can wear? She wears a seven."

The three girls ran into the house. Less than ten minutes later, they were back and Bella was wearing hiking boots.

While everyone said their goodbyes. I pulled Jazz aside so I could talk to him alone.

"Jazz, I've got to tell you how much this means to me. You staying here, while I'm going." I shook my head. "I feel like I should stay, but, I've got to protect her." Jasper is the only person I could say this to. Bella would feel even worse about the situation.

"Edward, if an ax was hanging over Alice's head, I would be doing the same damn thing. This is not a problem. I am actually looking forward to a good brawl." He was smiling.

We walked back over to the truck. I made sure the two walkies we had were on the right channel and told my dad goodbye with a hug.

"Load up! Time to hit the road," I yelled.

Mom and Alice got in the back, while Bella and Jared sat up front. As we headed out, I saw some of the guys taking up their posts. I gave them a short wave and pulled out onto the road.

I pulled into the gas station at the edge of town. I needed to fill the truck and the cans in the back.

"If you girls want anything, get in there. We're leaving as soon as I'm done gassing up the truck." I wasn't trying to sound like a prick, but they were my responsibility right now and I took it seriously. Bella must have picked up on my mood because she slid out of the truck and was walking towards me.

"Edward, you okay?" She rested her hand at my waist. I leaned my head down against hers.

"Yeah. I'll feel better when we get on the road." I set the pump to run on it's own, freeing my hands to grasp Bella's hips. I pulled her in and kissed her firmly. "Will you get me a coffee, please?"

"Sure. You want anything else?" She really did ask this innocently.

"Not anything you can buy in that store," I said suggestively.

"Ha. Well, Cullen," she looked around quickly. "I can give you this…"

Bella put her hands on my chest and pushed. If I had been ready, she wouldn't have moved me. As it happened though, I fell against the truck.

She jumped up gripping my hips with her knees, her hands on my shoulders. Instinctively, my hands went to her hips. She grabbed my head and kissed me breathless. Just as quickly, she jumped down and smiled up at me smugly.

I was speechless. I came to my senses in time to reach out and smack her ass as she walked away. Holy shit. This girl was going to fucking kill me. And I was extremely happy about it.

I took the receipt from the gas pump and hopped in the truck. Jared had finished filling the tanks and had gone in the store. I pulled into an empty space in front of the door to wait. They all came out shortly after.

"You are in so much trouble," I whispered in Bella's ear when she slid in next to me.

She drew back to look in my eyes and I saw desire in hers. Fuck, this is so not the time or place. I decided I needed to take things down a notch. I leaned into her and gently kissed her nose.

Bella smiled and handed me my coffee. I thanked her with a squeeze on her thigh.

"Everyone ready?"

They were.

I pulled out onto the road and headed to the cabin.

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**A/N: Thoughts? Thank you for reading!**


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day Weekend! Hope you all have a sweetie to squeeze-if not-cozy up to Montanaward. **

**SM owns Twilight**

**Kari-love u! **

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 21-The Cabin

BPOV

As we drove to the cabin, my mind wandered over the last couple of days. The more time I spent with Edward's family, the more I liked them.

Jasper, Alice and Rose were all great. They seemed to accept Em and I without question, even with this trouble we've brought down around them.

Esme and Carlisle were wonderful. They were nurturing and supportive and loving. Great parents. Something I had been missing terribly.

I glanced over at Edward. His jaw was tense and his eyes darted back and forth between the truck's mirrors. Worry marred his beautiful features. Even with the all that, this man had me swept up in him. _He loves me!_

I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around everything that has happened. Edward is everything I never knew I was looking for, including his family.

I was feeling a little awkward around Esme yesterday and she picked up on it. She asked me what was wrong. I told her I was concerned about what she and her family thought about me and Edward. I was sure they thought I was some fast, loose woman from New York.

She told me the story of her and Carlisle. They met and were married inside of six months. She told me that 'love doesn't have a timetable', love can take hold instantly or grow over time. She said that if it's something you have to question and analyze, it probably isn't love.

That was kind of funny. I hadn't said anything about love. I had been _thinking_ it, but I'd also been thinking 'who says I love you' after only a few days?

Esme made me feel so much better. She assured me that she, and everyone else, knew my feelings were genuine. Edward walked in then, effectively ending our conversation.

That brought the memories of last night to mind. I almost dropped the potatoes when he walked into the kitchen. Holy crap, he was hot. His jeans were sitting just right on his hips and were just tight enough to show off his yummy ass. The dark blue button down looked great on him, too. And then, fuck me, he was wearing cowboy boots. Nice ones. They were a dark grey color and just looked hot.

The girls and I had fun throwing darts. There were some guys hanging around making borderline inappropriate remarks, including Jake. What an ass. He wouldn't take no for an answer. When Edward came over to me, I knew what he was doing. I found his possessiveness flattering. Besides, Jake was crossing the line. He deserved everything he got. I made sure that he and everyone around us knew that Edward was mine.

I figured I'd give Edward a little show while we were shooting pool. I only meant to tease him a little. I had no idea that little old me would have such a strong effect on him. I was stunned. His quiet forcefulness damn near left me a pile of goo on the small dance floor.

After we got home, he worshiped my body. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. He was tender and loving, commanding and strong. I almost burst into flames while I was lying on that bed! The things that man does to my body. He flipping owns my ass.

I tried to move my thoughts to something less panty drenching. Just thinking about him makes my thighs clench.

Of course, the current problem was enough to take my thoughts away from last night. When Edward woke me and told me what had happened, I was ready to pack up and leave. If anything happened to him or his family, I don't know what I would do.

I could only hope that they wouldn't find us. Although, that seemed unlikely. I know that the authorities had been notified, but that didn't relieve any of the fear I had.

I leaned my head on Edward's shoulder and closed my eyes. I felt his lips on my head and sighed. What did I do to deserve this man? I fell so hard and fast for him. I couldn't see my life without him at this point.

We had driven for a little over two hours when Edward woke me. We were driving down an overgrown lane in the middle of a sparsely wooded field. When we crested a small hill, I saw a building in the distance.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Yes. It's been a couple of years since anyone has actually stayed here, but someone checked on it about six months ago. Jared and I will go in first, just to make sure that we don't have any four-legged squatters. Then we need to get unloaded and get a few basics taken care of before dark."

The cabin was bigger than I thought it would be. There were four windows along the porch, which ran the length of the cabin. It looked like it had a second floor and it only had two windows. The logs that mad up the cabin walls were weathered, but looked solid.

When Edward pulled up to the cabin, he turned the truck around and backed up to the door. Us girls waited until Edward and Jared gave the all clear. We grabbed our bags out of the back and headed in.

The bottom floor had one big room in the front and a couple of bedrooms in the back.

The kitchen area was on one side, a table and chairs was in the middle and sitting area was opposite the kitchen. It reminded me of Little House on the Prairie.

It did have an upstairs, although it was more like a loft. Edward told me we'd be up on the right. I walked up the stairs, there was a bedroom to the left and then ours to my right. There was a wall of sorts separating the area for privacy, but it was very basic.

I came back down to help unload the truck. We put the food and water in the kitchen area. We had brought coolers with us. Jared must have bought the ice that was in them.

Esme and I started making sandwiches while Alice doled out blankets and such to the different bedrooms.

Edward and Jared were bringing in firewood and checking the windows and doors. After they were satisfied, everyone sat down to eat.

Someone had thought to bring cards, a couple of board games and cross word puzzle books to prevent us from going stir crazy. We had no idea how long we'd be here.

Edward and Jared were going to take turns keeping watch. After some convincing, Alice, Esme and I were included, too. Edward showed me where the outhouse was _yay! _and also how to start the generator.

"Bella, have you ever shot a gun?" Jared asked. Edward gave him a dirty look.

"Yes, I have. It's been a few years, but…yeah I know how." My dad took me to the firing range and taught me how.

Jared eyed Edward for a moment then turned to me. "Let's go out back and get you reacquainted." I followed Jared towards the back door.

"Bella, you don't have to do this." Edward caught me by the arm as I walked past him.

"Edward, first of all, I have done this before. I grew up around guns. Second, you can't ask me not to help. I am not going to cower in a corner while everyone else defends me," I complained.

"That's not what I meant." He put his hands on my shoulders and bent down a little to look me in the eye. "I wouldn't ask you not to help." Edward leaned his head closer and kissed me lightly on the lips.

When I got out back, Jared had already set up some targets. He set me up with a 9mm. It took me a few tries before I started hitting the targets. I began with an old garbage can totally missing on my first couple of shots. I ended with some soda cans knocking them off the fallen tree Jared had set them on. It's a little like riding a bike; after a few minutes, it comes right back to you.

"Awesome Bella. Who taught you to shoot?" Jared asked.

"My Dad. He was a police officer and he wanted to make sure that Emmett and I knew how to use a gun," I said.

It was getting too dark to see the targets so we called it a night and went inside. Alice and Esme were talking quietly by the fire and I didn't see Edward anywhere. I didn't want to interrupt them so I went looking for him. It isn't like there were many places he could be. He was either out front or upstairs. After looking for him out front, I went up to our room. He was lying across the bed with his arm resting on his forehead. I sat down next to him.

"Hey, how'd it go?" he asked quietly.

"Good. It came back to me after a few tries. How are you?"

"Fine, just resting. Jared is taking the first watch, so I figured I'd relieve him around one."

"Goodnight guys. Mom and I are going to bed," Alice called up the stairs.

"Night," Edward and I both said. I got up and started changing into something to sleep in. I figured sweats and a t-shirt. That way if something did happen, at least I would be dressed.

Edward may have had other ideas, though. After I stripped out of my jeans, he was behind me. I felt his breath on my neck as his hands gripped my waist. I leaned back into him. He let me go and took off his own jeans and t-shirt, leaving him in only his boxer briefs. Edward grabbed at my shirt hem and pulled it over my head. I turned to face him and he stopped me.

"Stay like this," he whispered. The warmth of his body against mine felt really nice. His hands ran over my skin, squeezing every so often. I moaned softly.

"You'll need to be quiet, baby. Can you do that?" he asked. I nodded. Edward slid my panties off and removed my bra. He ran his hand over my back, down to my ass and then over my thighs. He turned me and did the same thing on the front. Like he was memorizing my body with his hands.

He took my hand and led me to the bed. After he removed his boxers, we got into the bed. He pulled me to him so my back was against his chest. He held me so he had one hand on a breast and one free for…other things.

I felt his hardness right up against my ass where he was gently thrusting. His fingers found their way to my wetness and swirled around in my folds. He was moving slowly, making it a very sensual experience. The whole time his lips were on my neck and ear, whispering and kissing.

"Bella, your soft moans are making me so hard," he whispered. "I'm going to end up cumming all over your back." He pinched and pulled at my nipples making me cry out.

"Ahh…Edward…ooh" I said trying to be quiet. "Please…"

"Please what, baby? What do you want?" He was teasing me.

"More Edward. Harder…please" I whimpered.

"I don't have a condom with me," Edward sighed.

"I'm on birth control, Edward. I haven't been with anyone but you in over 3 years."

"Me either. So it's okay then?" he asked.

"Yes. Please Edward." I was practically begging. Edward lifted my leg and placed it on his own. He ran his hard cock through my folds before entering me.

"How's this?" he asked as he thrust himself into me. He kept his pace slow and strong so I felt every inch of him. He gradually increased the pace, holding me tightly to him. After a few minutes I felt myself start to fall.

"I can feel how close you are Bella. Let go. Cum for me, baby," he whispered in my ear. I pushed back against him and came, my whole body shuddering. He pumped into me a few more times and I felt him stiffen as he came.

"I love you, Bella. So, so much," he said softly.

"Edward, I love you, too." We stayed in that position after he slipped out of me and we fell asleep. I woke at some point, finding him gone. Looking down, I saw that he had put a shirt on me before going on watch. He's so thoughtful and sweet.

EPOV

I paced around the yard, watching. Waiting. I had no idea what I was doing. I was a veterinarian for Christ's sake! We're talking about the fucking mob! I had to do something, though. I'd walk through fire and face the devil himself if I had to.

The night passed without incident and I welcomed the sunrise. When I got back inside, everyone was just getting up. I made some coffee and sat down at the table.

"How are you, Edward?" my mom asked.

"Good. I'll take a nap after breakfast." I turned my eyes to the stairs and watched Bella descend. She walked right over to me.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hi," she answered, smiling back.

"You guys are too cute," Alice commented as she passed us on her way to the coffee.

My phone vibrated where it sat on the table. I grabbed it up and saw 'Jasper' on the screen.

"Jasper. Talk to me."

He told me that one of the lookouts believed that they saw the guys we were waiting for. Between here and home. Somehow they found us and were on their way. Jasper said that reinforcements were an hour out, but on the way.

"Everyone get dressed and meet back here. They found us and are on their way here. Now." Bella's eyes got wide. She reached her hand out to me and I grabbed it.

"It'll be okay. Go get dressed, babe," I told her. She ran up the stairs and I turned to Jared.

"Let's gather the guns and start barricading the windows."

Jared and I quickly started moving furniture to block the front windows. I hollered for mom and Alice to cover the back windows with blankets. When we finished in the front, we ran to the back and pushed the dressers in front of those windows.

We gathered the weapons and made sure everything was loaded. Jared and I paced the floor, glancing out the mostly covered windows. Now, we waited.

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**A/N: Thoughts? Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 22

**A/N: This is the last regular chapter folks...the next is a short Epi. Thank you for all your support-I appreciate all the reviews and alerts! I am working on a new story that I hope to have out soon.**

**Kari-I owe you much sister! Thanks for being there.**

**SM owns Twilight**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 22-They Found Us

BPOV

Fuck! I scrambled around trying to get dressed. My stomach was twisting and my nerves were jumping. I stopped and took a deep breath.

After gathering my wits, I finished dressing and went back down to join everyone.

Alice was sitting next to her mother, their arms wrapped around each other. Jared was pacing the floor, stopping to look out an open area in one of the windows. Edward was nervously running his hand through his hair.

I felt compelled to say something to them all.

"I'm sorry that we've put you all in this position. If I had of know it would come to this, we never would have stopped in Bender."

Everyone started talking at the same time.

"Bella, you shouldn't feel like that. We don't hold you responsible for this mess." Esme had gotten up and hugged me.

"You're practically a sister to me Bella. Don't worry about this," Alice said.

Edward walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me. He lowered his head to my ear and whispered to me.

"Babe, then we never would have met. Nothing is worth that. I mean, I'm sorry for the shit you've had to go through, but, you've become everything to me." I pulled my head back to see his eyes. The emotion I saw in them backed up everything he said. I gently kissed him and sighed.

"Okay. What do we do now?" I asked.

"First, choose your weapon. Everything is already loaded. Make sure you have extra ammo, just in case." Jared pointed at the various boxes sitting amongst the guns.

We all grabbed a gun. Alice and Esme chose rifles, while I went with a 9mm. I wasn't sure what Jared and Edward had.

"I'm going upstairs. Edward, stay down here. You ladies pick a window. We need at least one of you in the back." Jared said to us.

"Mom, Alice? Will you two go in the back?" Edward asked as Jared ran up the stairs.

"Sure. Let's go Alice," Esme said. I hugged them both and watched them walk away.

"Bella, why don't you take the window on the end? There's a gap towards the bottom you can look through." Edward was moving to the position he was taking.

"Okay. Edward?" he stopped and looked at me. "I love you." He smiled and stepped to me. He took my face in his hands and kissed me tenderly.

"I love you, Bella."

We all waited at our posts, no one seeing anything. Time felt like it wasn't moving.

"Edward, I need to pee." I tried not to whine, but I had been holding it for a while. He laughed at me.

"Okay. Hey Jared! Come down here for a minute!" Edward yelled.

"What?" Jared asked as he came down the steps.

"I need to take Bella out back for a minute."

Jared took up Edward's position and led me out the back door. I smile at Alice as we passed her.

"Can you two go up front until I can get back there?" Edward asked them.

"Potty break," I explained. We arrived at the outhouse and Edward waited outside the door. Just as I was zipping my jeans, I heard a vehicle skidding to a stop out front.

"Bella, they're here. Come on." Edward hissed.

We ran back into the cabin and stood still, waiting for what would happen next. Jared had his gun pointing out the window, trained on one of the men.

"How many are there?" Edward asked.

"Four, one of them ran around the side of the house." I looked at them and went to join Esme and Alice.

"Isabella Swan! I know you're in there. Come out and no one will get hurt!" One of them yelled, stopping me in my tracks. "If you cooperate, I'll make a call that will save your brother's life!"

I looked at Edward, wondering what I should do. He grabbed his cell phone and called Jasper. He quickly found out that everyone was fine, no one was even there. Edward told him about our visitors and hung up.

He and Jared spoke quietly then both fired a warning shot over the SUV the Volturi drove. The men hit the ground and rolled away. Everything that happened next was almost a blur.

EPOV

After we fired the warning shots, we lost eyes on the two fuckers in front of the cabin. I motioned to Jared that I was going to the back. He nodded and I ran back there. Just as I got to the second bedroom, the back door flew open. Standing in front of me was Jake.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I snarled.

"I'm sorry," he cried. "They found me and made me bring them here. There were these 2 big guys and they had guns and they threatened to hit me. I had to tell them!" he blubbered. I held no sympathy for this cocksucker.

"You are a sorry excuse for a man, Jacob. I ought to shoot you myself! Instead, I'll just put you out of my fucking misery." I pulled my arm back and hit him as hard as I could. He fell like a 12 year old girl. "Fucking asshole," I muttered.

"Edward! Get up here!" I heard Jared yell. I ran back up front and pushed Bella out of the window and saw a guy come out from hiding. While he charged towards the window, the other two guys went for the door.

Jared was busy keeping the one coming for the window away by shooting at him. I met the guys at the door and tackled one of them. Both of our guns skittered across the floor as we wrestled.

Mom, Alice and Bella jumped on the second guy. Between the three of them, they were kicking the shit out of him. Alice was on his back, pulling his hair. Mom and Bella were taking turns punching and kicking him.

Me and my guy got to our feet and I got a couple of punches in before he clocked me a good one on the mouth, splitting my lip. I shook the stars out of my eyes and dove at him. We fell back to the floor and rolled around. I heard hard hitting footsteps and guns being cocked.

"Freeze! You are surrounded by the Montana State Troopers!"

I stopped my movements and looked up at the four guns pointed at us.

"Wait! That's my boyfriend!" Bella was pointing at me.

The troopers got us up and checked out my ID. They cuffed the guy whose name was Caius and led him out to the cruiser. I looked after them and saw they had the other 2 guys cuffed as well. I heard moaning and turned around.

Jake had woke up and stumbled into the living area.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" Bella yelled. _This ought to be good…_

"He is the one that BROUGHT those fuckers here. Apparently they _scared_ him into it!" I informed her.

Bella turned five shades of red and stormed over to Jake. She slapped him hard across the face and kicked him in the balls. He doubled over and fell, cupping his junk and groaning.

I scooped up Bella and kissed her long and hard. Watching her put that fucking douche in his place was really fucking hot.

I talked to one of the troopers to make sure it was all clear for us to go home. He said that from what they knew, they had everyone rounded up. I thanked him and turned to Bella.

"I think it's safe to go home," I said a little sad. It meant that she could go home, too. Back to New York.

We gathered our things and closed up the cabin. After everything was loaded, we hit the road. Jared said he'd drive, so Bella and I jumped in the backseat.

We took off towards home talking about the girls fighting tactics and it felt good to laugh again. I told them what I had learned from the trooper and called Jasper, letting him know we were on our way.

Jasper said that no one even saw any of the guys from New York. He sounded a little disappointed. Mom got on the phone to talk to dad then handed it to Bella.

"Hi Em. Yeah, we're all fine. Okay, we'll be home in a couple of hours. Love you, too. Bye." She smiled and handed me the phone.

"Hey. What about Jacob?" Alice asked. Everyone looked at each other and we all busted out laughing. We left his sorry ass at the cabin.

"Fuck him. He can find his own way home," I said, thoroughly disgusted.

With that said, I curled up my legs and laid my head down on Bella's lap. Her hands in my hair helped me to drift off. I'd been up for over 24 hours and figured I deserved a nap.

I woke up as we entered Bender. Jared got us home and I noticed a car there with a Hertz rental sticker on it. We all got out and went into the house. Emmett met us and said that Jack was here.

After introductions were made, he explained to us why he was here. Apparently, they had the Volturi under intense surveillance back in New York. They also had someone on the inside under cover. Over the last 24 hours, they got the evidence they needed to put the main guys away for a while. Aro, the leader was already sitting in jail. As soon as these two who visited us got back, they would be, too.

"That means that all I need from you two," he motioned to Bella and Emmett "are statements about what you witnessed in New York. It may not even be needed, with what they've got on them. You shouldn't be needed for the trial, either."

"What happen to the reinforcements?" Jared asked.

"They took a wrong turn and got lost!" Emmett said. "Stupid fuckers."

The only thing that had been on my mind since the troopers drove away at the cabin was wondering if Bella would stay or go back to New York City. Should I wait and let her say something? Maybe I should just ask?

I was pulled away from my thoughts when someone asked about Jake. The girls filled them in and I watched Billy's face take on a shameful look.

"I must apologize for my son. I don't know what's wrong with that boy." Billy was shook his head and walked towards the door.

We sat around re-telling our story while mom got us coffee and Rose brought out snacks. Jasper said that as soon as he hung up with me, he called the state troopers. Luckily, they had a post close to the cabin.

Everyone laughed and cheered when Jared described how the girls kicked ass. I was especially proud of Bella knocking Jake to his knees.

I had a hard time paying attention. All I could think about was Bella leaving. Now that she was safe, she could go back to New York. That would kill me. Maybe I could go with her.

I couldn't take it anymore, the apprehension was eating away at me. I tapped Bella's shoulder and motioned with my head for her to follow me.

I sat her down on the porch and decided to pour my heart out to her. What's the worst that could happen? She could leave.

"Bella, I love you. I honestly can't see my life without you anymore. Do you…um… what do you think about staying here. In Montana. With me." I stammered. "Shit! Maybe I could go with you? What do you want, Bella?"

"You want me to stay?" she asked, as if it was difficult to believe. She had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"Yes, I do."

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**A/N: Well? Let me know...and thanks for reading!**


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: Here we are at the end. Thank you so much for reading/reviewing/alerting!**

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Cullen Rescue Ranch

Chapter 23-Finding Home, an Epilogue

BPOV

He wants me. He wants me to stay. There was nothing holding me to New York. Sure, I had a couple of friends, but isn't that what airplanes and e-mail were for?

I looked up at Edward. His brows were furrowed and he was running his hand through his hair. I needed to put him out of his misery. I stood up and caught his eyes with mine.

"Yes, I want to stay." His eyes widened and a beautiful smile took over his face. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me like there was no tomorrow. We stayed like that until we heard someone politely clear their throat.

We broke apart and saw the entire family staring at us through the screen door. Alice was giggling and they all had goofy smiles on their faces.

"Bella's staying," Edward proudly announced. Everyone cheered and came out the door to hug us. I pulled Emmett aside.

"I'm sorry you found out like that. Do you hate me?" I asked.

"No. I could never hate you. Actually, I'm relieved. I was wanting to stay, too," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Really? That's perfect, Em!" I threw my arms around him and he held me tight.

"I think we finally found home, Bella," he said quietly.

"Yeah, Em. I think we did." I said before turning back to find Edward. I could be anywhere in the world. As long as I was with Edward, I was home.

3 Years later

EPOV

Bella and I had moved into the cabin her and Emmett had shared. We were married 6 months after in a small ceremony. We rented out Dooley's and had a big party afterwards.

I didn't have a lot of money to spend on the honeymoon, but Bella insisted that what was hers, was mine also. She paid for our 2 weeks in Hawaii. It was wonderful. We spent the first week inside. The master suite was very nicely equipped and they had excellent room service.

Bella fit into our lives perfectly. She had made and put into action suggestions that helped our facility grow. We were able to expand with all the donations pouring in. Her ideas about the pre-adoption forms turned out to be genius.

Rose and Emmett had moved into the attic after they won a coin toss. Alice was not happy. Both couples were married in a double ceremony. It seems that Rose and Alice had similar tastes and it worked out perfectly for them.

Jake moved away just before Bella and I were married. After the town found out about him bringing the mob guys right to Bella, he was essentially ostracized. Because of his arrogance, he tried to ignore all the whispers and looks. It got to him after a while and last I heard, he moved to New Mexico.

Mom and Dad were happy that we had all found our soul mates. They happily included both Bella and Emmett into their lives and into the inner workings of the facility. They were extremely happy when we told them they were going to be grandparents.

Bella gave birth to a beautiful baby boy a year and a half after we were married. Best birthday present _ever_. He was the perfect combination of us both. Charlie had brown hair and green eyes and his facial features were a mix of us both.

"Edward? Do you have the bag with the snacks in it?" my lovely wife hollered from inside the cabin.

"Yeah, babe. I do. Come on, were burning daylight!" I yelled back. We were taking a ride to the back of the property today. Charlie loved riding with me on Sam.

Bella came through the door looking like perfection. Tight jeans, a t-shirt with a flannel over it and her cowboy boots. And Charlie on her hip. I fucking love this woman.

She handed Charlie up to me. As soon as he saw Sam, he started squealing and squirming around. Bella got up in the saddle and got Annie moving. We made our way around to the trail that led to the field. What a sight we were.

I wouldn't trade this for anything. _Utter perfection_.

We got to the stream and let Charlie down to run around. Bella wrapped herself around me and looked up into my eyes.

"This is pretty great, huh?" she asked. I spoke the simple thought I'd been thinking of all morning.

"Perfection, babe." I tried to kiss her but she was smiling so big all my lips met were teeth.

"What's up, Bella?" I asked smiling back at her. She pulled my head down to whisper in my ear.

"Really?" I asked, astounded. I watched our son stumbling around as he chased butterflies.

Bella was pregnant.

"I guess we're going to have to put an addition on the cabin," I grinned.

I picked up my wife and kissed her with every emotion I had for her. Charlie ran into my leg and wrapped his little arms around me. I sat Bella down and picked him up and we stood there, arms around each other, laughing.

This really was perfection.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks so much!**


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